Harry Potter? nah, hermione granger
by iEatBrainz
Summary: What if it was Hermione that had the scar? What if it was Hermione that fought Voldemort? What if it was Hermione that had no parents? Little things like these matter.
1. The Philosopher's Stone

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own harry Potter. If I did I'd die 3**

**The only character I _do _own is Ruby. :D  
>Ok I got inspiration for this at like 1 in the morning and I finally finished it around 2:30. It seems like I always have to create stuff at ungodly hours T~T. Oh well =D Please review as much as possible because I totally wanna continue this. Oh and I hope you enjoyed the description :D<strong>

Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone

POV: Hermione Jean Granger

As I waved goodbye to my parents on the platform, I wondered what Hogwarts would bring. I always knew I was...different. Walking through the train to find an seat, I pondered on and on about who I would meet. I saw my sister slip into a cabin and I quickened my step to reach her. "Ruby! Wait up!" I yelled to her.

She turned, waiting for me as I ran up to her. I smiled at my sister. Turning to the people already seated, Ruby asked them, "May we join you? Everywhere else is taken up." They nodded and grumbled, "Sure." I handed my sister my few bags and she put them on the rack along with hers, and then we sat down. I felt it would be proper to introduce us, but Ruby obviously beat me to it. "I'm Ruby, and she's Hermione. And you two are?"

The boys introduced themselves as Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. It was obvious my sister was excited to be in the same vicinity as Harry. I was unaware of why, it's not like he's done anything special.

While Ruby talked the entire trip, except when we changed into our robes, I simply took out a book and started to read. It wasn't long till we were to arrive at the school, and I loved reading.

We were shepherded into tiny little boats, 3 people each, by a giant named Hagrid. Apparently, Harry already knew him. Us first years were brought into a large hall with a ceiling that looked like the night sky. "Don't worry. It's just magic that's making it seem like the sky. It's still the ceiling!" I told the boys, who were looking a little afraid at it. We were lined up on the back wall, and as soon as the Headmaster and Sorting Hat had said their share, Professor McGonagall started calling out names from her list. It took not long before she reached my name. "Granger, Hermione!" she called, and I bounded up to the stool, and sat. She placed the old, talking hat upon my head.

The hat was taking his time, but before long called out, "Gryffindor!" I smiled as I hopped off and headed toward my table.

Ruby received the same response and her face lit up like a light bulb as she ran over to my spot.

That night, after the feast and after we were escorted to our dorms, I sat next to the window whilst the other girls slept. I thought I saw a creature of some sort from the corner of my eye once, but it may've been a trick of the light. Around midnight-ish I finally went to bed.

Eight weeks passed awful quickly, and on Halloween morning I was awoken by Ruby shaking me up. "Hermione wake _up! _It's Halloween you idiot! Come _on _we're gonna be late for breakfast!"

So I quickly got dressed and followed her down to the dining hall. We sat by Harry and Ron- whom we had accumulated a great friendship with- and sooner or later the owls came with the morning _Daily Prophet_. Ruby chattered away with some friends in our dorm as I read the paper.

Later, I was sitting on a stone bench, going over my notes before class. I was too busy to notice some Slytherin boys walk over till they were blocking the sunlight in front of me. "Oy, Mudblood. That's our bench." I heard Draco Malfoy sneer. It was horrible to be called that name, and Malfoy knew that. Instead of getting worked up, I simply looked him in the eye and responded, "I don't see your name on it. Why don't you go sit on that one?" I pointed to another bench across the field. He simply laughed, a taunting sound that made my blood boil.

"Nah, I'd rather not. It's too cold." I rolled my eyes, picked up my things, and started to leave. I hadn't gone 5 steps when I heard him sneer, "No wonder she hasn't any friends. After all, no one wants to be near a filthy mudblood!" That had done it. I quickened my step, and, head down, accidentally bumped into Harry, Ron and Ruby. I didn't care. They called out in surprise but I just headed toward the bathroom.

I stayed in a stall the rest of the day, and when dinnertime rolled around, I exited to wash my face. I'd but turned the sink on when I heard a low grunting noise behind me. I felt my heart quicken and I stood completely still, and yet I wasn't afraid. Slowly turning, I saw a ginormous Mountain Troll; at least 10 feet in height. My mouth opened to form a little O, but I bit back my tongue to keep from screaming.

Slowly, I pulled out my wand. The troll hadn't seen me yet, for he was facing the other direction. "Wingardium Leviosa." I muttered, pointing my wand at the Troll's large stick. It floated up, much to the troll's discomfort. He tried to grasp it, but I brought it higher than he could reach, then I let it drop on his head, knocking him out cold. He fell to the ground unconscious. Suddenly I heard running, and soon Ruby, Ron and Harry appeared in the doorway, stopping when they saw the head of the troll.

I smirked and put away my wand as Ruby looked from the large monster to me. "Hermione! Did you...do this?" I nodded. "Is it...dead?" I laughed at this, shaking my head. How could he be dead?

Just then, McGonagall, Quirrell, Snape and Dumbledore rushed in, stopping too at the sight of the troll. "What in the name of Merlin happened here?" McGonagall asked, looking flustered. Before they could respond I told her what had happened: I was hiding in the bathroom, and came out to wash my face. But the troll had gotten in and I wasn't paying attention...But I did in fact knock him out.

"We sh-should m-move the thing Pr-professor.." Quirrell stuttered. She agreed and then told us, "Well, that was very courageous of you Miss Granger; taking on a full grown Mountain Troll is not something a first year can usually accomplish. But for now, I want all of you to get back to your dormitories." With that, she left us and we all went back to the common room together.

Of course, the next few months were nothing. They flew by quickly and before long, it was but a week before we were to go back home. One night that week, I sat by the window, with my forehead leaning on the cool glass. I did not feel the need to sleep, nor was I tired. Instead, I felt an urge to go exploring. So, I simply snuck into the boy's dormitories and borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak that he had gotten for Christmas. It was just for tonight. So I stole out into the cool hall, feeling an adrenaline rush that came with sneaking out.

I didn't know where exactly I was going to go, but I just wrapped myself in the cloak and padded silently away. I headed through the library, resisting the urge to read something, and instead came across a door I hadn't seen. It was locked, so I used the Alohamora charm on it. Slipping silently into the room, I forgot to close the door. It was a long hall filled with torches that set ablaze as soon as I stepped through the door.

Afraid to slip off the cloak for fear somebody would be watching, I simply kept it on as I headed down. Then something hit me: this was the corridor that students were not aloud in! I started to head back, but when I turned to do so, I saw a cat. A cat with blood red eyes and mangy looking fur, known as Mrs. Norris; Filch's cat. I then remembered I was invisible. But she seemed to look right at me...and then left. I ran down the hall, arriving at another door. I unlocked it and rushed in, just as I heard Filch call out, "Who's there? I know yer in here!"

I was breathing heavily as I turned around to face the room, dropping the cloak. It was all empty except for a large mirror in the middle. Curious, I walked silently to it. I saw myself, of course. My bushy brown hair, my brown eyes, my pale skin...So boring.

But then, the reflection changed. I saw myself, but behind me was...my parents? I knew my parents were dead. Or at least that's what my adoptive ones told me. But yet, in the mirror I saw them. They were smiling at me, and before long I smiled back. Looking at both of their smiling faces...I knew they were who I thought they were.

And yet, when I looked to my side and behind me, I was alone. _How very curious. Then that must mean the mirror is magic_, I thought to myself.

Sitting down in front of the large mirror, I wondered how it was I saw them there.

For the next few days, I tried to return as much as possible. On the weekend before we were to leave, I snuck in again. This time, though, I saw Dumbledore standing in front of the mirror. This shocked me, but I approached him. "Headmaster, sir?" He didn't turn. "Back again, I see. Don't you get tired of seeing the same thing?"

I shook my head. How did he know I've been here before. "Sir, why is it that I can see my parents in the mirror, when they aren't here at all?"

Dumbledore chuckled softly. He turned to me, his kind eyes looking into mine over those half-moon spectacles. "The Mirror of Erised shows our deepest and most desperate desire of our hearts. For example, the happiest man on earth would look into the mirror and see only himself, exactly how he is." He smiled, then continued to look into the mirror.

This thought struck me as something different. The deepest and most desperate desire? It was all making a little more sense to me now: I have always wanted to know who my real parents are, to meet them. I wonder if Ruby wanted the same thing...

"Professor Dumbledore, what do you see when you look into the mirror?"  
>"Me? Why, I see myself holding a pair of nice, thick wool socks. You can never have enough socks." He added with another smile. I didn't think he was entirely truthful, but kept quiet.<p>

He then told me that I should get back to my dormitory. It was late and the mirror was to be taken in the morning. I reluctantly obliged, grabbing Harry's cloak and sneaking back into the common room. I suddenly felt tired, so I simply lied on the couch and shut my eyes. I was asleep before I knew it.

The train ride back home was long and tiresome, and I slept most of the way. Perhaps the little midnight trips to the Mirror of Erised were not such a good idea. I still hadn't told Ruby of my trips, nor Ron or Harry. I don't think I ever will...

**EDIT: Oh my gosh, thank you so much HRLKittycat! I did not realize that. 3 *sends you a cookie***


	2. The Chamber of Secrets

**Disclaimer: Can I has rights for Harry Potter?  
>JKR: NO!:<br>Disclaimer: Please please please please PLEAASE!**

**JKR: Well..  
>Disclaimer: =D<strong>

**JKR: NO!**

**Disclaimer: okay. v_v**

**Thank youuu **Carolina Zoldyeck and Dunk234.

The Chamber of Secrets

POV: Hermione Jean Granger

"So, Hagrid, tell us again _why _we're here when we are _supposed_ to be in bed?"

All of us (Harry, Ron, Ruby and I) were sitting at the table in Hagrid's hut. He was bent over his fireplace, upon which there was a boiling kettle. "Jus' hold yer horses li'lle one." he mumbled. I tried leaning back in my chair to see what he was doing. I leaned back too far, though, and for a second I felt like I knew I was going to die.

Then I realized I had just leaned too far. Hagrid turned and layed a large egg-like object on the table. He then sat down opposite of me and explained that he had gotten it from a merchant in Diagon Alley. I looked up at him. "Did you...see who the merchant was?" he shook his head. "He was hooded, yeh see." I looked back at the egg.

Suddenly, it started to crack. Before long, the whole shell had broken away to reveal a tiny lizard-like creature. Then it hit me: Hagrid had bought a _dragon_ egg and a _dragon _was hatching from it. Dear god. The dragon slowly dragged itself around the table and looked at Hagrid. "Norbert!" he said with glee, and the dragon coughed out a little puff of smoke that caused Ron to cough himself. Then the dragon bit Ron on the hand. I stood up, pushing in my chair. "Hagrid, you shouldn't have that! It's against wizard law!" He looked sadly from me to Norbert, then sighed. "I know. But where'll 'e go?"

I thought for a second. "Hey- Ron's brother Charlie could take him. He's studying Dragons in Romania, remember?" Reluctantly, he nodded.

"I could write to him and ask him." Ron said to Hagrid, glaring at Norbert. "Okay, but right now we need to get back to our dorms before someone notices we're gone." I turned to push open the door, but saw a pale, blond head duck beneath the window. Malfoy! "Oh no. Oh no no no _no_!" I grabbed Ruby, opening the door and yelling to the boys to follow and that Draco had seen us- and probably the dragon too!

/-\\\

Sitting in the hard chair in front of McGonagall's desk was torture. I knew we'd get detention, just not what it would be.

"Well now, you kids know that you shall be punished for going out after hours. But what the punishment is shall be up to your head of house. Fortunately for you four," she pointed to Ruby, myself, Ron and Harry, "I am that person. But for Mr. Malfoy, Prof. Snape will be administering that."

She told us that we were to follow Mr. Filch to our detention tonight. Also, Draco was apparently serving it with us. Ron would not be, for his dragon bite had caused his hand to swell up.

That night, the four of us trudged behind Filch across the grounds, arriving in front of Hagrid and Fang, his dog. He told us to follow him, and we went off into the Forbidden Forest. "H-hey..wait! I thought the forest was _Forbidden_?" Draco stuttered, trying not to appear as scared as he was. Hagrid grunted in response. Sooner or later we were deep in the forest, and he turned to us. "Okay, now Im gonna split yeh up into two groups. Harry and Ruby, come with me. Draco 'n' Er-my-knee, go that way." he pointed the direction out. "Wait! I want the dog to come with us."

Fang looked at Draco with big eyes. "Well, okay. But jus' so yeh know, Fang's a big scaredy cat."

He told us to be on the lookout for unicorns. Specifically hurt ones. About 10 minutes of walking later, Draco looked around and turned to me. "I still don't see why the big oaf can't have done this himself! We're just kids. Wait till my father hears about this!" I rolled my eyes.

"Calm _down _Draco. It's better than detention with Filch...I think." I never had gotten detention before, really.

We walked for at least 30 minutes, him cowering behind me of course. Suddenly I heard a twig snap. Draco squealed and Fang started whimpering. "Stay right here." I told them as I descended down the short hill, wand at the ready. I saw...something I will never forget. A hooded figure- a vampire maybe?- leaning over the neck of a dead unicorn. Obviously, it was drinking the poor thing's blood.

Suddenly, my forehead started burning with a searing pain. My hand flew to it- my scar. The figure stood up, obviously seeing me now, and seemed to float over towards me. Backing away, I raised my wand, but just then a herd of centaurs arrived. The strange hooded thing fled the scene and my pain was relieved. "Who are you?" one of the beasts asked me. I stammered out my name and that I was with Hagrid. "Climb upon my back. I shall take you to him." I do so and soon we arrive in front of the whole group, including Draco and Fang.

I slid off the centaur's back, thanking him dearly. He simply smiled and bounded off to join his herd. I ignored all their questions and started walking back toward the school. Our detention was over.

After we had gone home, I was a little dazed and didn't do much besides read. Ruby was her ever-so excited self, and my parents were their own...parent-y selves. But sometimes, I'd lock myself in my room, telling them I was reading. I was really writing in a little book I bought when we were shopping for school items.

Summer flew by. Before I knew it, I was writing on a train, robes on, ignoring my sister chattering to Harry.

Of course, when we were shopping at Flourish and Blotts, we met Gilderoy Lockhart and Lucius Malfoy. I was shopping with the Weasley's of course. Molly got herself a signed copy of Lockhart's book, and Lucius simply had to insult her husband. Also, he insulted me. I expected Draco to join in with the taunting, but he didn't. Instead he looked at his father and said, "That isn't funny."

So, here I am, sitting on a train approaching Hogwarts. When we arrived, I was the last one out, right behind Ruby. When I sat at the table, Dumbledore was already speaking. I ate in silence, answering only to those who spoke directly at me.

That night, I was setting my books into a bag I carried around for classes. I put my time turner around my neck. After all, tomorrow classes start and I'd need them. I saw a strange book at the bottom of my box, and picked it up. I found no name on the front, but turning it over there was a tiny inscription on the bottom. "Tom Marvolo Riddle" I wondered who that was, and made a mental note to look him up.

I took out a quill and ink jar, for the book was empty. I figured it was a diary of some sort. I thought of what to write, and ink dripped from the quill tip onto the paper. Almost as soon as it did so, it disappeared. I flipped through the next couple pages, but it wasn't on them anymore. Curious...I got more ink and wrote in the middle of a page, _My name is Hermione Granger._ It disappeared, and I was just about to write more, but the diary seemed to respond, _Hello, Hermione. My name is Tom Riddle._ I talked more to the diary. I spilled my heart out to it, in fact.

That morning, though, I woke up less tired and even a little more chipper than usual. But as my friends and I walked down the hall together, the hall being unusually empty, we stopped when we saw Mrs. Norris...hanging on the wall. On the wall opposite, written in -what looked like- blood, was the words _The Chamber is open_. Also, the floor was flooded with water that was coming from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

More people soon appeared, stopping when they saw the wall. Dumbledore and McGonagall were among a group of people, and soon Filch appeared too, as well as the rest of the teachers. "Oh..oh my.." McGonagall muttered. We were all ushered out of the halls, our classes to be canceled.

"Who do you think did it? Do you know Hermione? Huh? Do ya?" Ruby was bugging me as we descended the stairs to dinner. "No Ruby, I _do not_ have a single clue in my mind." She could hear the annoyance in my voice, and she dropped the subject.

After dinner, I was walking back to the common room on my own, when I overheard arguing in the hall. It went something like this...

"I demand you tell me. If you don't I-I'll...throw you to the giant squid!" said one cold, sneering voice that could only belong to Draco.

"I told you- I haven't a clue! I promise! She's just my sister, I don't read her diary!" This, much to my surprise, was Ruby's voice. She sounded scared.

"You may as well start tonight. Because," I stepped closer to the corner, "if you don't find out, something bad may come to you." With that I heard Ruby scurry off toward the dorms. I finally turned the corner, acting like I hadn't heard a bit of that. My head down, I accidentally bumped into him. "Oh sorry I didn't...see.." I stopped the apology when I looked up. He had turned and was looking at me, not as much hatred as he usually had plastered on there. I swallowed, shutting my mouth and backing up. "Up a little late are we?" he asked, but softly. I cocked my head.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." I wasn't, really, but he sighed. "I...couldn't sleep." he lied. I accepted it, not wanting him to know of my eavesdropping. "Well, you better get back to bed. Filch is more alert now, since the petrification of his cat."

I started to leave myself, but he layed a hand on my shoulder. "Hey- wait. You wouldn't happen to have any idea who did it?" I shook my head. "No. Do you?" "Well, no. But I think that maybe the heir of Slytherin could've opened it. Only that person can, y'know." I nodded, and faked a yawn. With that, he let me go and I hurried into the common room, then up to my dormitory.

The next afternoon, during History of Magic class, I raised my hand. Professor Bins stopped talking and asked what I had to say. "Professor..could you tell us about the Chamber?"

He looked shocked that I'd asked, but told us. "Long before you children were around, the four original heads of houses -Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin- all created this school. Now, after some time, Salazar wanted only pure bloods in Hogwarts. They had a falling out, and Slytherin left. But before departing Hogwarts, he constructed a secret chamber beneath the castle. Henceforth, the Chamber could only be opened by his true heir, and it is believed to contain a monster that would assist in purging all but pure-blooded Wizards from the school." I wondered if there was more, but he continued teaching.

Later, I was walking alone and saw Nearly-Headless Nick floating above...a body? I walked over to him and saw he was petrified, as well as the student; Colin Creevey. I dropped my books, screaming. His camera was in front of his face still. I quickly alerted the nearest teacher, Professor Snape, and he went to get Madam Pomfrey. More students got petrified, including Ruby. When I heard the knews, Harry, Ron and I rushed into the hospital wing. She had a mirror in her hand and it was pointing to her. Her left hand was also balled around something, and while the boys were asking Madam Pomfrey questions, I slipped it out and into my pocket.

That night, I slipped into the boy's dorm's and woke them up. Down into the common room we went, were I showed the note to them. It turns out, Ruby had found out that some monster called a "Basilisk" could easily go through the piping. She had written in her messy handwriting, _Basilisk=petrification. It_ made sense. The students were accidentally seeing the thing's eyes, but not directly, as looking on in it's eyes was fatal.

A few hours passed, and I tossed and turned in my bed, unable to sleep. How could I, when my sister was petrified? It didn't seem right. Why her? It seemed as if her perfect, innocent face, filled with shock, was burned into my mind. I rolled over and stood up, grabbing my shoes. I tried not to look at Ruby's empty bed, and exited the dorm silently, trying not to awake anyone. I silently opened the common room door, and headed down the stairs, into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She didn't appear, thank god. I looked at the bottoms of every sink till I found one with a snake on it. This sink in particular did not work, and nobody knew why. I whispered, "Open." Of course, I did _not _expect the sink to start moving. But it did, the whole column did.

There was a large, square opening in the floor now, I peered down into it and was about to simply leave it be, but unfortunately, I slipped and fell into it. Biting my lip I tried to not scream as I slipped through the metal slide-like thing.

Soon, I fell from it into a basement-looking room. Standing up, I head a crunching noise beneath my feet. Turns out, I was standing on bones. Lots of them. Running as fast as I could, in no particular direction, I soon came across a door. It was large and marble. I whispered for it to open again and a marble snake slithered up it, and soon opened slowly, to reveal a long, narrow walkway. Around it was water. I saw something move at the end of it, and saw...Ginny Weasley? I ran, careful not to slip, and kneeled down beside her. "Ginny, Ginny, can you hear me?" Just then I heard a dark laugh from above me. I looked up and gasped. I don't know why, it just made the man laugh more. He had pale skin, dark eyes, and was obviously very handsome. Also, he looked around 16.

"What did you do to her? Who _are _you?" I half yelled at him. He discontinued the laughter. "Me? Why, I am Tom Riddle. I believe we've met...in writing. You truly have a very interesting life, Miss Granger." I growled in response.

"Oh, don't worry about the girl. She's not dead...yet." I asked him what he meant by that. I would _not _let Ginny die! Ron would kill me (That is, if I made it out of here alive myself). "You see, she had the diary before you," I noticed that cursed diary in Ginny's cold hands, "and did just what you did. Only, I managed to take over her. It was her that wrote the messages. Only, she knew not of the fact she was."

This made no sense. _Ginny _wrote the messages? That's ridiculous.

"But she figured it must've been her, nobody else had done it. So, in effort to rid of the book, she threw it away. Somehow, though, it ended up in your care."

I'd had enough. Standing up and grabbing my wand, I said to him rather menacingly, "How dare you, taking my friend like that! And now she's almost dead. I command you t-" but I never finished what I was saying.

A large snakelike creature suddenly slithered through the cave in front of me. I looked down at once, for I knew it was the basilisk. Tom laughed and said, "Now, Granger, you will meet your end as well. For, how dare you live, when you should have died those 11 years ago!" I had no clue how he knew of that, but I ran from the beast. I heard a musical noise from above, and when I looked, I saw Fawkes flying with something in her beak.

Dropping it down to me, I felt something hard inside of it. How did Fawkes find me, I will never tell, but I couldn't linger on that, for the Basilisk had started it's way over to me. For something _so large_, that thing was _so fast_. Curving backwards I jumped upon the stone statue-like object that the monster had emerged from. It, being too large to quickly turn, tried to hit me with it's large tail.

Suddenly, a sword fell from the hat. Picking it up, I examined it for a mere 5 seconds before the beast had cried out. Looking up I realized the horrible thing had gotten it's eyes picked by Fawkes. I smiled, for it could not see me. But, slipping off and falling in front of the cave, I chose to ran into it instead of savoring the justice.

"After her!" Tom cried at the beast. It could still hear me and was hot on my trail. After a few twists and turns, I ran a corner only to find myself at a dead end. The basilisk almost passed me, but stuck it's large nose into the air I was in, sniffing the air and listening intently. I quietly picked up a rock, and threw it in front of the beast, away from me. It's head turned and it slithered away, giving me the opportunity to run back to Ginny.

Tom stopped me dead in my tracks. "Come here you wretched girl." I obliged but felt very insulted. He wrote his name in the air, and started switching them around. Soon it read, instead of Tom Marvolo Riddle, "_I am Lord Voldemort._" He then turned to me, seeing my shocked expression. "What? You think I'd keep my muggle father's name? Of course not. I wanted a name, a name that would soon strike fear into every wizard and witch's heart, a name that people would never want to speak."

Just then the basilisk appeared – again- and I ran to the top of the statue once more, dodging its attacks. Soon, I was at the top and face to face with the horrible creature. It lunged, and I stuck the sword up the roof of its mouth. It stopped moving, but my arm had been struck by one of it's horrible, yellow teeth. Sharp buggers they are. But as I retrieved the blade from its mouth, the monster fell to the ground, dead. "NO! MY BASILISK!" Tom – I mean, Voldemort – screamed at me. I gracefully slid down the statue and raced to Ginny, unaware of the basilisk tooth actually in my arm. But when I got there, kneeling in front of her, I noticed the searing pain.

Yanking it from my arm, I grabbed the diary. Voldemort started to head toward me, to tackle me, but I jabbed it into the cover.

It started to kind of bleed ink, and I jabbed it more. Tom seemed to..blow up. He started to get holes in him, to have light stream through his body. I opened the book and jabbed it more. Soon, the book had died and so did Voldemort (Or so I thought of course) and Ginny sat up, gasping. "Hermione! Oh Hermione I'm so shocked- it was the diary. The diary was telling me to do th-" I stopped her.

"I know. But, the diary is gone now." She sighed in relief, and then gasped again. "Hermione! Your arm!" I ripped off my sleeve, and saw the gaping wound. Just then, Fawkes flew over and leaned her head over my arm. I felt so...weak. Of course, the venom was simply killing me. But, the bird cried her tears and as they landed softly on my skin, the wound healed right up. Soon, I could feel no pain.

"That's right! Phoenix tears have healing powers. Now, c'mon, let's get back where we belong!"

-oOo-

We made it back, just in time for dinner. Dumbledore was just saying that the petrification victims had been fully healed when we burst through the doors. All eyes fell on me and Ginny.

"GINNY! HERMIONE!" Ron shouted, getting up and running to hug us. Everybody clapped. We feasted and laughed and had a great dinner, not once thinking of the events that went down earlier.

_  
>I KNOW IT'S LONG =D 3,505 words to be exact. Please review and R&amp;R (what does that stand for anyhow?)<br>Just for the record, this took FOREVER to write. Like, I started at 3:01 this morning and now it's -glares at computer clock- 5:56.

Anyway, enjoy. FYI, you're gonna find out who like-like's whom in the next chapter. (Are they even _called_ chapters? Seeing as every "chapter" is one book out of the series? Yeah, they're chapters. My world is all messed up.

Voice in head: THAT'S CUZ YOU LIVE IN UNDERLAND.

Me: shut up! :O


	3. The Prisoner of Azkaban

**Yay! Im _finally_ uploading it. I would've done it last night, but it was around 4:53 when I finished and my eyes were so bloodshot the darkness hurt them. But its 5 in the afternoon now xD Anyway, I own nothing except Ruby. Thank you everyone who has faved my story. Without further ado, ON TO THE STORY!**

Prisoner of Azkaban

POV: Hermione Jean Granger

Ah, Diagon Alley. It's a rather swell place, you know. Aside from the dirty marble ground and creepy people you sometimes meet. But, here I was, with Ruby and Harry, buying my books. I seemed to be loaded up to my max with books. I told Harry and Ruby, "Go on and get your stuff, I'm just going to get an owl." They obliged and I ran to the shop animals were sold in. The bell above to door rang 3 times when I stepped in. "Welcome! What can I interest you in mi'lady?" A short man with a large handelbar mustache approached me. I smiled and looked around. "Well, I was looking to buy a..."

I stopped when I saw a fat, ginger cat looking at me from a cage. I walked over to it, petting its small head. "I think I want this cat." The man nodded and picked up the cage, beckoning me to follow him to the register.

Just then, Harry and Ruby walked in accompanied by Ron, who was holding his rat, Scabbers. I paid for the cat and turned to them. "Look! I was going to get an owl but I just fell in love with this _adorable_ cat. Her name is Crookshanks."

Crookshanks, who had been looking bored, hissed at Ron's rat. This obviously offended Ron. As we walked out of the store, making sure we had everything, I was forced to stay on the other side of Harry so Crookshanks wouldn't try to eat Scabbers.

We all agreed to spend the rest of the few days we had left at the Burrow. As we were about to start there, I was bumped into by someone, dropping all my books and almost dropping the cage. The person turned immediately, prepared to shoot an insult. Upon seeing it was Draco Malfoy, I dropped to my knees and started to pick up my many books, not expecting an apology or help.

"Sorry- let me help." He kneeled down too. Once or twice, we tried picking up the same book. _How cliché,_ I thought. In the end I thanked him and scurried off to catch up with my group.

At the burrow, Molly stuck me, Ruby, Harry and Ron in the same room. It was a tight fit, and me and Ruby had to share a bed, but it was cozy. Almost everything about the Burrow was. I was still wary about the book-dropping thing, but I had a great time. We helped cook one night, but the food ended up either exploding or already burnt. It was all fun and laughs...

When we arrived at Hogwarts, I was the first to the table, to our dorms, and the first asleep.

Since I had taken up every class there was, Professor McGonagall pulled me aside one evening and gave me a Time Turner. "It has the ability to let you go back in time, to whatever time you want. Use it only for your classes." With that, she put it around my neck and I was off. Within a week, the gang was suspicious about how I was managing all my classes.

One day we were going to go visit Hagrid, when we overheard Draco, Crabbe and Goyle laughing about something he had said. We almost were going to pass them, when Draco stopped us. "Going to see that huge oaf? I don't see why." he followed up with several vulgar insults about Hagrid. I'm not sure why, but I stalked up to him and punched him square in the face. His nose started bleeding and, with a little whimper of pain, ran from us with Crabbe and Goyle following right behind him. "That felt good." I said.

"Good? That was brilliant!" Ron commented. I blushed, and we turned to continue our way to Hagrid's. He was out by the lake, throwing rocks. "Hagrid! How did the court hearing go?" he turned to us sadly. "They're puttin' Buckbeak to death. Thar gonna execute him tomorrow." He was choking back tears, we could tell.

**Several days ago**

POV: 3rd Person

The children in Gryffindor and Slytherin arrived at Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical creatures around mid-day. Hermione as usual arrived out of the blue when they were walking, causing Harry, Ron and Ruby to jump in surprise.

"Erright, follow me." Hagrid said to the lot, and they all walked a short ways into the Forest. There was a large animal standing there. It had the head of an eagle, and a of a horse.

"This thing 'ere is a hippogriff. C'mon Buckbeak, c'mere." Hagrid motioned the animal to walk over, which it did.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud. Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do. Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move. It's polite, see? Yeh walk towards him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed to touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt." He explained to the students. "Who wants to try?" Most of the kids stepped back, but Hermione stayed there. "Erright, Hermione. C'mon over here."

Hermione edged her way toward the hippogriff. She bowed slowly, keeping wary eyes on the beast. Soon, the animal bowed too. She stood up straight, and walked closer. "Why, you're as harmless as a fly. And you're oh so soft...what beautiful feathers." she cooed to the hippogriff. He nudged her hand as she petted him.

Soon, the class erupted in clapping. I started to step away, but Hagrid stopped me and said, "Now, would yeh like to ride'im?" I was confused, but it must've looked like she nodded, for he carefully picked her up and set her on Buckbeak's back. He took off, Hermione gripping onto wherever she could.

The students on the ground ooh'd and ahh'd as the hippogriff flew in a large circle before flying over the trees, over the water. Within five minutes, he had flown across the whole lake, and was now landing softly in front of the class. They started clapping again as Hermione slid off, smiling like an idiot.

Then, Draco Malfoy ran up to the beast and simply insulted it. Buckbeak reared up and slashed its front feet around in anger, striking Malfoy's arm. Hagrid calmed the beast, but Malfoy acted as if he was to die.

"Agh- somebody take the boy to the hospital wing, yeh hear!" Hagrid yelled. Hermione rushed over, grabbing Draco's wrist and ran toward the school. "WAIT TILL MY FATHER HEARS ABOUT THIS!" he yelled as he was led away.

0O0

"Oh Hagrid – That's horrible!" he sniffled. I wanted to run over there and give him a big hug.

Later, as I was sifting through my notes, I noticed a strange piece of paper lying on the table. **(A/N She is in the common room. Just wanna clear that up in case anyone asks.**) I pick it up, opening to find an empty page.

Just then, Fred and George Weasley appear beside me.  
>"Ah, it seems you've found the Maurader's Map." Fred said to me.<p>

I turned to him. "The what?" I asked.

"The Maurader's Map! It shows where anyone and everyone is in the castle, at any time. All you have to do is point your wand at it and say," George said. Fred pulled out his wand, pointing it at the parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" The brothers said at the same time. Slowly, a map of the whole school appeared. I found the Gryffindor common room and it shows 3 pairs of feet, and it showed our names.

"But how- where did you find this?" I asked, bewildered.

They shrugged. "It was in Filch's desk. We searched it during a detention." I could not_ believe _it! Not only had they found it during detention, but they had _stolen_ it from _Filch_! I don't much like him, but that was not right.

"A-As a prefect, I feel I should report this...but it's just.." I had gone back to studying the curious magical object. "You can keep it if you want. I know you're not allowed in Hogsmeade this year." I knew they were grinning. "So, um, this shows EVERYTHING of Hogwarts?" I asked slowly.

"Yup! Even the secret passages that even Filch doesn't know about." I smiled to myself. This'll be fun.

I know I am a prefect and all, but the sense of joy and rebellion was undeniably exciting.

A few mornings later, I slowly descended the stairs, hearing a commotion in the breakfast hall. Weird, breakfast is usually quiet..

There were a group of people forming a little circle around the area I usually sit at. Ruby noticed me first. "Hermione! I'm sorry, I couldn't help opening it- it's just that you weren't down here and...you can ride it first, it's yours!" I wondered what she was babbling about.

The crowd parted to let me in, and I saw the most beautiful broomstick. It was a Firebolt, apparently. But, who had sent it to me? "Did it come with a card, letter, anything?" I asked nobody in particular.

"Um, no. It was just there, where you always sit."

I was smiling slightly. Either somebody was stalking me, or someone was crushing on me. Either way, it was a little creepy they had known who I was and, more importantly, where I sat.

I put it up next to my bed and went about the day as normal.

But, at the end of the day, as I was about to turn off the light, I noticed my broom was missing. "Ginny! Are you awake?" she mumbled something incohearantly, which I took as yes.

"What happened to my broom? I left it right here." I pointed, knowing she wasn't looking. Sitting up and yawning she turned to me. "Professor McGonagall took it for inspection. She says she's worried it might be rigged. 'Who knows? Sirius Black could have sent her it, and put a charm to make it try to kill her!' she had said." Ginny imitated McGonagall almost perfectly.

"Meh, okay. Good night." I turned off the light and fell asleep.

When spring rolled around, McGonagall returned the broom. I was elated, but it was late at night and I could care less about riding it in the rain.

One morning, I woke up and all the hangings on our beds had been ripped to shreds. (**A/N Have I made a rhyme?**)

I was the first to awaken, and I gasped so loudly they all woke up too. They were as shocked as I. I didn't bother with my shoes, and ran downstairs, out of the common room, and I would've ran into McGonagall had I not stopped to catch my breath.

"Professor – Come quick! The hangings- on our beds- they've been slashed. It looks like a knife did it." she followed me as I hurried back, urging the Fat Lady to open quicker. She was half asleep, but let us in. The girls had been so shocked they were in the common room now, and I joined them as the professor looked.

Soon, she came down. "I'm afraid...Sirius Black has been inside Hogwarts." Our jaws dropped.

A few days later, we were walking about the grounds, when Ron ran over to us. "You!" he said accusingly, jabbing me in the chest. "What about me?" I asked, furrowing my brows.

"Your wretched cat has done it! He's eaten my Scabbers!"

I stared at him in shock. "Crookshanks has done nothing of that sort! How dare you suggest such things?"

Ron had a look of pure hatred- obviously for Crookshanks. We kept at it, yelling like that, for at least 5 solid minutes before Harry broke us up. "Stop it! Both of you!" he yelled. I slinked off as Ron apologized to Harry. I saw an executioner and Cornelis Fudge walking into Hagrid's Hut. I took this time to sneak over to the window, listening.

"I am sorry Mr. Hagrid, but we have no other choice. It is the law." Fudge wiped his glasses on his handkerchief.

Ruby, Ron and Harry join me, but we cover our eyes when the executioner picks up his axe, and whams it down onto Buckbeak's neck. I had started crying, and hoped nobody saw. I don't know why, but I felt I was rather close to that hippogriff.

Later as we were walking up a hill, Ron dived down. "Scabbers! I've found you!" He cooed to the rat as he stood back up. I rolled my eyes. He mumbled an apology to me, and I sighed.

I was about to say it's fine, but the rat jumped from Ron's grasp and ran toward a large, gnarled tree. He managed to jump on Scabbers, before a large black dog ran up to Ron, grabbing his ankle in its obviously strong jaws. It then pulled him, screaming, under the tree and into a hole. I ran forward. "RON!" I screamed, as Harry and Ruby joined me. But the tree starts moving.

"Um..Hermione..I do believe that is the-" Harry started.

"Whomping Willow!" I yelled as a branch tried to hit me. I ran towards it (like an idiot!) and managed to dive into the hole, Harry and Ruby following quickly. How we managed to do it, I will never know. But we went down a wide path and soon came across wood flooring. There were paw prints, which we followed. It was rather dark, so I lit my wand.

Soon we stepped through an opening and I saw Ron sitting on a chair looking scared. "Ron! Are you alright?" I asked, running over to him. Ruby asked the same thing, over and over. I stood up and looked at where Harry was supposed to be, but instead there was someone who I recognized at once. I pointed my wand, but he had one too. "Expelliarmus!" he yelled, and my wand flew from my hand into..professor Lupin's? I was shocked.

Not only was Lupin there, but he was standing next to a mass murderer as if he was an old friend. "Ah, Black. It's been long." Lupin patted him on the back.

"Thirteen bloody years, it's been!" the madman responded, smiling. He expelliarmus-ed the rest of us too.

"What the hell do you want from us?" Ruby yelled at the same time I yelled, "YOU KILLED MY PARENTS!"

Sirus Black laughed. "No, Voldemort did!" Somehow, even though my friends shuddered the the name, I was not altered.

"B-But you helped. You told him their location!" I snarled at him. Somehow, it came out weaker than I planned. He laughed again. "STOP LAUGHING! You know, I thought I was prepared, but no. I realize now you just want to kill me- You have my wand. Go ahead!"  
>He looked at me, seriously. "Stupid girl. Its not you Im after, it's <em>him<em>!" he pointed to Ron.

"What? But I'm not-" Ron sputtered.

Sirius sighed. "Not you, THE RAT!" Scabbers jumped from Ron's lap and scurried across the room, jumping up from the floor to the old piano. Lupin lunged at him. Scabbers jumped to the wall, morphing from a tiny rat to a short man.

"See! Your 'Scabbers' is none other than PETER PETTIGREW!" Sirus yelled as Lupin yanked the man from the wall.

"But Scabbers has been in my family for-" Ron started.

"THIRTEEN YEARS! An awful long time for a common _rat_, don't you say?" I'd had enough. Just as I was about to grab Ron's wand, Professor Snape rushed in. "BLACK! We meet again." he sneered at Sirius.

"Aha, Snivellus, how nice of you to join our little party! Do you remember Wormy here?" But just then I shouted 'Expelliarmus' at Snape, and he flew to the old dusty bed, unconscious. "Hermione..you just attacked a teacher!" Ruby yelled.

Of course, I did not care. I was aiming for Sirius Black, to be honest. I was at the doorway when Pettigrew crawled over. He still had the characteristics of a rat: twitchy nose, long nails...

"H-Hermione G-Granger..what an honour it is to be in your presence. You look s-so much like y-your father...Like James.." Sirius hit him. "How _dare_ you talk to Hermione? How _dare_ you bring up James?" I looked from Peter to Sirius.

He was just about to hit Peter when I stopped him. "Wait. I think we should just..um..let the dementors take him." Sirius reluctantly nodded and stepped back. Then, Pettigrew pushed passed me and out the passage. Sirius, Lupin and I yelled for him to come back, but he did not.

Soon, we were helping Ron walk up the pass, and Lupin had made Snape levitate. "Sorry about the bite. I was aiming for the rat, you know."  
>Ron shrugged. "It's okay I guess. Really hurts though." he nodded.<p>

As we were walking across the grounds, the air started to get rather cold and chilly and..depressive. I suddenly felt as if I could no longer feel happiness. I looked up to the sky and saw dementors floating around us. "Sirius- the dementors! They've found you- run!" He ran, and I handed Ron to Ruby, much to her delight.

Running after him, I didn't see Lupin transform into a werewolf himself. But Ron, Ruby and Harry did. He started to attack them, but Snape apparently tried to aim a spell at him. I stopped, turned and was about to run back when I heard a howling noise in the forest about a half-mile from me. I ran to where Sirius was lying on the ground. Apparently he had gotten hurt, and was bleeding. I kneeled down next to him. "Sirius...Sirius! Can you hear me?" I asked him. In response, he moaned slightly and turned his face to the water.

I then realized the water was freezing slowly. Then, looking up, I saw the dementors. Hundreds of them. I grabbed my wand and tried to to the Expecto Patronum spell, but I just couldn't think happy thoughts. Soon, they were close enough I could feel the happiness draining. I was about to pass out.

But, then, I saw a light from across the lake. A silvery stag walked across the ice, and before I blacked out...I could've sworn I saw my mother standing there.

-oOo-

I woke up some time later, at dawn, to see Harry and Ruby looking at me. Turning my head, Ron was in the bed next to me, his foot in a cast.

"Hermione? A-Are you okay?" Ruby asked. My head felt horrible.

"Yeah. Where's Sirius? Are you guys all right?" I noticed Lupin had left some chocolate on my nightstand, and I ate some.

I also noticed many people had put cards there. Harry answered me as I picked up one in particular.

"Well, we're A-Okay but I'm afraid Sirius is locked away in a tower. Tonight he's to get the Dementor's Kiss." he said sadly.

I looked up from the card. "What! First I find out Draco actually cares about me, and _now_ you're telling me my godfather is to lose his soul tonight?" I was shocked all right.

But then I remembered something. I stood up and turned to my sister. "Ruby, I am _really_ sorry, but you have to stay here. Please." She looked confused, but I turned to Harry. "Same for you Ron. You couldn't go if you wanted to anyway."

I grabbed my time turner from my pocket and looped it around my neck, then Harry's. He tried to touch it, to take it off, but I slapped his hands. I turned the time piece around three times, and all around us, everything seemed to go backwards. Several hours before, right before we were to see the death of Buckbeak. I grabbed his wrist and we ran over, through the forest, and hid behind Hagrid's pumpkins.

I saw Fudge and Hagrid talking, and the executioner looking out from the window not facing us. Perfect!

I snuck up to where Buckbeak was stuck to, and I had to shoo some crows. I looked Buckbeak in the eyes, bowed, and he bowed back. I stepped closer, unhooking his chains. I had managed to talk Harry into wearing dead ferrets around his neck, and motioned for him to come here.

I grabbed a ferret, stood at the edge of the forest, and ushered Buckbeak over with them. By the time we were deep enough so that the men could not see us, I had given him my last ferret. I unchained him all the way, and set him free.

I saw Fudge, Hagrid and Yaxely (The executioner) walk outside. They were simply bewildered that the hippogriff was gone. I smiled to myself, knowing Hagrid would not be charged with letting it go. Then, Harry and I ran to hide behind a rock near the Whomping Willow. Of course, we saw exactly what happened with Scabbers, Ron and Sirius.

We waited till all seven of us exited the Shrieking Shack, and I made my way into the forest below. When Lupin transformed, and was about to attack, I stood up.

I made an awful, wolflike sound that caused him to look our way, and run down the hill. "Hermione- what the bloody hell! Now he's after us!" Harry tugged me with him into the forest again. We hid behind a large tree, but sooner or later, Lupin found us.

Just as he was about to lunge, Buckbeak appeared and attacked him. I smiled. Harry and I ran to the edge of the lake, where we saw Sirius and I.

Turning to Harry, I said, "Before I blacked out, right after the Patronum had gone off, I swear to God I saw my mum. Right. There!" I pointed. Harry started to point out she was dead, but I stopped him. The dementors were closing in. Where was she? Just as they were about to suck out Sirius's soul, I jumped from the underbrush, whipping my wand out. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" I yelled, casting the biggest Patronus I've ever conjured. The dementors disappeared and I rushed back to Harry, laughing. "What's so funny!" He asked.

"Harry, don't you see? It wasn't my _mum_ I saw, it was _me_!" He didn't comprehend, so I simply turned. I saw Buckbeak, and hopped on. I gestured for Harry to do the same. He wearily got on, too.

We flew around Hogwarts till I knew it was the time Sirius had gotten into the prison. We flew to the tower, and stopped infront of the bars. I grabbed a chain, and attached one end to Buckbeak's collar and the other to Sirius's cage bars. "Stand back!" I yelled as Buckbeak flew off, the cage breaking from the walls. I pumped my fist into the air in triumph. _Yes! It worked!_ I thought. Sirius ran out as Buckbeak landed again. I unhooked the chain, the bars falling to the ground. I ushered both of the guys on, and we flew to the bench area. We got off, Harry going to sit down, and Sirius went to stare at the stars.

Walking over next to him, staring up too, I asked him, "Sirius? Are you..._really_ my godfather?" I inquired. He looked at me, smiling. His warm brown eyes twinkled in the moonlight. "Of course. Your parents trusted me so much. It breaks my heart still to know Voldemort killed them." He resumed the stargazing.

"You know, if you'd like, you could live with me. Both you and Ruby, in fact. We could move someplace far away, but close enough you could continue school."

I pondered this. That would be nice. Closing my eyes and leaning my head on his arm, I felt the cool night air brush my cheeks.

"But for now, kiddo, I've to leave. I'm still wanted." I was reluctant to let him leave, but I wouldn't let him get into Azkaban again. He hopped onto Buckbeak, and as he flew away I felt tears stinging my eyes.

Soon, we were running into the Hospital Wing. "What the- how did you- you were just there- I saw you!" Ron and Ruby stuttered, pointing and the lot.

I smiled. "That's ridiculous. We're here. There's no way you can be in two places at once."

-oOo-

On the train ride home, I turned to the gang.

"You know, I gave Professor McGonagall the Time Turner back. I simply can't handle that much stress and overload!"

We laughed.

~Somewhere In London~

POV: Draco Lucius Malfoy

I looked at the parchment. I had written but 3 words, and still I crumbled it up and threw it to the wastebin, along with all the other rejects. I sighed and leaned back, holding my head in my hands.

_Why _did I feel like this? _Why _me? I'm positive that stupid Potter has feelings for her as I do. But this just seems more powerful, more...intense. I don't simply like her as in _friendship_. I absolutely, without-a-doubt,_ love_ her. Slumping in my chair, I looked out the window.

Turning back to the desk, I grabbed another parchment and started all over. This time, I'd get it right. This time, I'd be able to truly express my feelings without sounding like a dope from some stupid presentation about some love-sick idiot who stalks his 'true love' all around, but in reality he knows it's dangerous but he's oh-so-intensely in love with her.

God, I could be a writer. The idiots in this stupid place would absolutely love it. I smiled, shaking my head, and kept writing the letter.

**Cookies for anyone that noticed my Alice in Wonderland reference. :)**

**~Hint hint!~ Anyway, enjoy. I don't think I put enough Draco in the story, so I added that small tidbit.**

Voice in head: 'Cause you LOOOOVEEE him.

**SHUT. UP. Anyway, Review, R/R and favorite the story, please and thank you.**

**Oh yeah, and um I'll give you milk fo' yo' cookies if you notice my horrible Twilight reference.**


	4. The Goblet of Fire Part One

**I warn you, this one's shorter than I'd like.**

**As always, I do totally not own Harry Potter in any way shape or form. Except Ruby. She's mine.  
><strong>

**Goblet of Fire**

_The old woman stood in front of the stove, stirring the food that was cooking. She had lived in this house for so long, tending to the old mansion across the street, ever since the immemorial. _

_ But as she glanced up at the huge thing, she noticed the lights were on. "Stupid teenagers," she muttered, grabbing the old lantern on the wall and lighting it._

_ Slipping on her shoes, she reminded herself to lock the mansion better. It was not long before she was ascending the creeky staircase, prepared to shoo those idiotic youngsters. Who were they to trespass on this land? _

_ Hearing silent talking in the room she saw the light in, she peeked through the small door opening._

"_B-but my lord, the girl is so open. She could easily be killed by any of us..." a young man said, talking to someone who was sitting in the high-backed chair._

_ Suddenly, a thick, warm object appeared, slithering up behind the woman. Her eyes widened as a large snake ascended the chair, curling around it. A pale, white hand reached out to pet it's epic head. _

_ Suddenly a short, hairy man filled the doorway._

"_M-milord, the h-human is listening.." said a twitchy voice._

_ "Well, by all means Wormtail, move so I may welcome our guest." The door seemed to fly back with the force of a green light. A strong man's voice yelled along with it, "Avada Kadavra!" _

oOo

I shot up, panting like a dog. My forehead hurt like hell and my shirt was sticking to my chest. Ruby sat on the edge of my bed, looking at me with a worried expression on her face.

"Bad dream?" I nodded.

Just then Mr. Weasley knocked on the door. "Hurry up and get dressed kids!" I yawned and rolled out of bed. Soon we were walking along a vast grass field with trees dotting it. "Ugh. How much longer, dad?" Ron complained.

Soon, though, we came across an old man with a backpack.

"Arthur! How lovely to see you!" the men hugged. "Same to you, ol' man! Where's your son off to?"

Just then a young man, about seventeen, dropped from the tree next to his father. "Ah, Cedric. You've grown since the last time I saw you!"

I looked over at Ruby, who was gaping at Cedric. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't believe you've met my son's friends. This is Harry," Amos and Cedric shook his hand, "and this is Hermione." I shook Amos's hand and then turned to Cedric. "Nice to meet you, Hermione." I blushed and shook his hand, then stepped back behind Arthur.

We continued walking and the men shared their stories.

Ruby talked the _whole_ way to Cedric.

Soon we came across an old shoe at the top of the hill. "All right kids, everyone grab hold of the boot." Ruby and I stood there looking confused, as well as Harry and Ron.

Then the air seemed to lift, and we had a second to touch the old shoe before we were squeezed through some parallel..universe. There isn't any other way I could describe the feeling.

My lungs seemed to be squishing, and I was gasping for air when we dropped in front of a small-ish tent. But when we entered, the place was like a large house. The kitchen was in front, and the bedrooms were on either sides. I smiled. _Magic is great, _I though to myself.

An hour later, we were climbing the steps in a large coliseum-type building. "Good lord, how high are we?" Ron asked, stopping to catch his breath.

I started to turn, but something snagged my jacket. "Hey-!" I shouted in surprise. It was none other than Lucius Malfoy, with Draco behind him.

"Let's put it this way: if it rains, you'll be the first to know!" he chuckled, as if he had told a real hilarious one. I jerked my jacket away and kept walking. Soon we were at the very top, next to the referee man. He used a charm to make his voice louder. "Attention everyone! Welcome to the 1994 Quidditch World Cup! The teams this year are Ireland," the Irish team flew out, and firework-like things jumped into the air, forming a giant leprechaun. Everybody ooh'd and ahh'd.

"And Bulgaria!" out flew the Bulgarian team in robes of red, followed by flying women. They had the silkiest, most blonde hair I've ever seen, and their voices were like angels. These were, of course, Veela.

I noticed Ron and Harry start to walk towards the railing, and I tugged them back. _Stupid Veela, with their stupid singy voices and whatnot, _I thought to myself. Then, flying in last, was the Bulgarian Seeker, Victor Krum. _Everyone_ cheered as his face appeared on the large screen.

When the ref down on the ground opened the chest, he quickly went over the rules and launched all 3 balls out, including the Snitch.

"And Troy scores the first point!" the announcer yelled out.

The game was amazing. Within fifteen minutes, Ireland had stretched their lead 130-10. Sometime later, a Bludger hit Krum right in the nose. Although it was bleeding pretty badly, and the meds wanted him to fly down, he managed to get the Snitch.

Despite the amazing catch, Ireland won with a score of 170-160.

After the game, we all went back to the tent. Fred, George and Ron celebrated, and soon we were all singing a song after Ron said something about Krum being an artist.

Soon, though, our celebrations were halted, for we heard a commotion outside. Standing in the flap of the tent, we saw people running, screaming, and basically in typical panic.

"Ron, Ruby, Harry, Hermione! Hurry and come with me!" I heard Arthur yell as he grabbed his coat. We followed him out into the bustling disarray of people. Within less than a minute, though, I'd lost sight of them.

"Harry? Ruby? Where are you!" I screamed, but it was drown out. I turned and saw where the people where running from.

A long line of black, hooded things were coming my way. I saw their masks, and their torches.

_Death Eaters? What're they doing here?_I asked myself.

Within half an hour, all the wizards and witches, and their children, had left to the forest or a portkey. I was lying on the hard ground, under a collapsed tent. I looked up and saw some tall figure walking my way, kicking away debris. I'd watched him for a minute before someone grabbed my shoulder. "Hermione! I was so worried- what happened?" I stood up shakily. Rose had worry written all over her face.

"I-I dunno. I was running with you guys, but then you just disappeared. It was crazy, there were Death Eaters everywhere." I happened to look up at the sky to exaggerate my words more, but I was stopped.

"R-Ruby...l-look.." I pointed.

She looked and saw a huge, green skull with a snake slithering out of it's eye..into it's mouth; The Dark Mark.

Suddenly there was a group of people around us, shooting. We ducked to avoid their spells, and heard Ron's dad run up. "Hey-hey stop! Don't shoot! Girls, are you okay?" We nodded.

Cornelius Fudge walked up to us. "These girls are _under arrest_!" He pointed to the sky, and Arthur simply rolled his eyes. "They've done nothing, Fudge. You cannot prove _they _brought up the Mark."

Cornelius then took our wands, inspecting our last spell. We were innocent, of course.

We followed Arthur back to the portkey, where we said goodbye to the Diggory's. Within seconds, we were back at the Burrow.

OoO

We arrived at Hogwarts late at night, as usual. Before dinner, Dumbledore made an announcement.

"Students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he started, "I am proud to announce that this school has been chosen to host the Triwizard Tournament. In but a day, the students from both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. I shall further explain once they arrive. Enjoy your meals!" with that, he sat back down, and the food appeared.

As we ate, Ron turned to me. "What's the 'Triwizard Tournament?" he asked, putting down a chicken leg.

"Its a tournament held every 12 years. Students from three selected school compete in an effort to win the Triwizard Cup, plus a load of money."

He nodded and continued eating.

OoO

We all sat on bleachers, waiting expectantly. As Dumbledore approached the huge marble cup, the fire reared up and shot out a piece of paper.

"The champion from Durmstrang is...Viktor Krum!" everyone clapped as he received the paper from the headmaster, then continued into the back room.

"Beauxbatons' champion is..Fleur Delacour!" Again, everyone clapped.

The fire reared again, shooting another piece of parchment.

"And, last but not least, the champion for Hogwarts is.."

everybody leaned toward him in eagerness, "Cedric Diggory!"

The Hogwarts students seemed to clap the loudest, especially Cho Chang.

But as we all started to leave, the fire reared once more, slowly spitting out one last parchment.

The headmaster studied it for a second. "Hermione Granger?"

All eyes turned to me. I hadn't entered my name..only those who were 16 and up could!

"Hermione Granger!" I stood up sheepishly and approached him. My eyes told him I was very confused. He just stared as I entered the back room.

It was filled with cabinets filled with various potions and bottles. I joined the other champions, who eyed me a little.

Of course, the professors all argued a bit, but in the end decided I had to compete.

We were told the rules, but not the first event. That was a 'surprise.'

OoO

As I entered the common room, I was greeted by an insanely angry Ruby. "How could you?" she yelled in my face.

"How could I what?"

"You know what! You put your name in that stupid goblet! It's obvious, and you didn't _tell me_!" Her voice had raised an octave.

"Ruby, I wouldn't knowingly put my name in the goblet. I am not an idiot! And besides, I couldn't if I wanted to!" She stormed off, muttering to herself.

Slinking down onto the couch, I thought over what just happened. Did I just get accused by my own sister? I sighed.

Suddenly, Harry plopped down beside me. "Hey – you've got mail." He handed me a neatly folded parchment, the seal just barely touched. I opened it, and at first didn't recognize the writing.

_Hermione-_

_I know you will most likely burn this letter, then burn its ashes and those ashes. But – I want to tell you something._

_I've wanted to tell you for a while, actually._

_To be honest, I can't believe it myself, and I doubt you will, but..._

_I think I'm in love with you._

_There, I said it. I don't know what it is, I'm just...attracted to you; your beauty, smarts, wit, and charm as well as your negative traits all jumble together to create one, perfect, whole Hermione. _

_ One last thing – No, I'll ask you that in person. _

_I hope this reaches you swiftly, for I have written this exactly two hours before the train for Hogwarts leaves. _

_Sincerely Forever yo Yours tru_

_-Draco_

I dropped the letter. _Draco Malfoy...loves me? _I reread what he'd written. Yup, right there in ink, he confessed his love for me.

I think I'm gonna get a migrain.

Of course, harry was reading it too, and immidiately grabbed the parchment from my lap. "This is rubbish!" he started to throw it in the fire, but I stopped him.

"Wait, I wanna keep it. Someday it may come in handy. Like, for blackmail."

He sighed and handed it back to me. Running up to my bed, I stuffed the letter carefully into my bedside table.

o~o

I was out by the lake, thinking my Hermione-ish thoughts, when Ruby and Harry walked up behind me. "Hermione!" he yelled, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned.

"Ruby wanted Angelina to tell Katie to tell Parvati to tell Ginny to tell Romilda to tell me to tell you that Hagrid wants to see you."

I cocked my head. "What?" I responded.

He sighed and went over to Ruby. They exchanged words quickly, and he turned back to me.

"Please don't make me repeat. Ruby wanted Angelina to tell Katie to tell Parvati to tell Ginny to tell Romilda to tell me to tell you that Hagrid wants to see you."

I sighed and turned back to the lake.

Later that evening, I met Hagrid at his hut when I had a free period. He had a tie on and everything, he'd even combed his hair.

He didn't notice me till I walked up directly to him and said, "Hagrid! I'm here!"

He took me deep into the Forbidden Forest, and before long I heard a roar.

"Hagrid? What was that?" He hushed me as we edged closer to a clearing.

I saw a giant cage, with some large, scaly creature inside it. The people around it kept a safe distance away as the animal reared and shot fire from its snout.

"H-Hagrid...Are those..." My gaze turned to him.

"Dragons?"

**Argh cliffhanger. I hate doing that but today I was so tired and worried about finishing both this AAAANDDD the Alice in Wonderland one I fell asleep.**

** So, sorry for being so late! Part two will come out sooner or later.**

**I wanna take a moment to thank everyone who's been subscribing and favoriting this story. And also Faux Princess for her lovely review :) **

** As always, please remember to review, R/R (What **_**does**_** R/R mean?) Favorite, Subscribe, all that good fluffy stuff!**

**Till next time.~**


	5. The Goblet of Fire Part Two

**Hey guys! I am **soo** sorry for the super long delay but I was on vacation and I didn't have LibreOffice on my laptop and I couldn't download it (The internet was sh** in Kansas!) so I just started writing it Thursday morning. I hope the longness of this chapter appeals to you because I feel it is CRAZY! **

**Thank you everyone for sticking with me and the lovely review*s***

**Please Review and Fave and Subscribe! It would mean SO much to me if you could. Thanks!**

**The Goblet of Fire**

**~Part Two~**

**POV: **Hermione Granger

"Tha's right! Dragons."

I stepped back some steps; I could feel the heat of the flames from the beasts. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Hagrid? I'm going to go to bed now..I can't believe it." I started to walk away. "_Dragons! _Who would have guessed?"

He put a hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"Hermione, be careful. And remember- you can use ani'thin except yer wand." With that, he let me go and I ran back into the castle.

The next morning, I woke up slowly. Ginny was hurrying me because today'd be the first challenge.

_Dragons. They think we can handle _dragons_! Oh, wait. Cedric, Fleur and Viktor might be able to, but they're 17! _ I sighed. My age, apparently didn't stop anything.

After Potions, I stepped through a group of sneering people, all equipped with badges that bashed me while praising Cedric._ Speak of the devil..._ I thought as I headed over to where he was hanging out with some Hufflepuffs.

"Hey- Granger! Sorry about the badges, they weren't my ide-" I stopped him.

"Can we talk?" My eyes flickered to his friends behind him. "Privately?" he waved off the group and followed me behind a large bush 5 feet away. "What is it?"

I sucked in a deep breath and stared him right in the eye.

"Dragons. That's the first task." His lips parted slightly and his brows furrowed. Then, realization dawned in his mind. "You're kidding!" he exclaimed.

Shaking my head slowly, I responded, "Not at all. Hagrid showed me last night." I shuddered. "They're full grown, too." I smiled sadly and walked away, leaving him there to think about it.

In the tent, thirty-five minutes before we were to go out and face the dragons, I sat on a bench facing the opening.

"_Psst! Hermione!" _I heard a voice whisper behind me. "What...?" Timidly, I stood up.

"How..how are you doing? Are you scared?" It was obvious the person was male.

"Um, that's kind of obvious. Who are you?" the person sighed. "Hey- don't be. You've gotten this far."

I stepped back more. _Malfoy! _I growled softly. "Draco, I'm not sure what you want, but stay AWAY from me! I don't care what you think of me, how you feel about me- or anything!"

I heard a sharp intake of breath and a swallow. He flung open the drapery and stepped inside, his face hard. "Well, that's too bad. Because, no matter what, neither of us can get away from the fact that I do, in fact, love you. And I'll be _damned _if I let anything...happen..to..." he swallowed again and closed his eyes.

"Just...think it over some more. Please." I could tell when he opened his eyes that he was fighting back the urge to cry. "Be careful. And..." Draco turned. "I'm sorry...For how I feel." He exited the tent. Part of me wanted to forget all about him, and part of me wanted – so badly – to reach out to him. Likewise, that part of me wanted to love him back. But that would _not _happen.

Igor Kakaroff, Cornelius Fudge and Dumbledore entered the tent. Cedric, Fleur and Viktor came in from the other rooms. Fudge held a small, purple leather bag in his hand and told us to huddle around. When we did, he explained that in the bag were several baby dragons. The dragon that we pulled out would be the same one we were to battle soon.

"Of course," he smiled, "that one will be much bigger."

Fleur went first. I'm not quite sure which kind she picked out, for my thoughts were elsewhere.

"Hermione! It's your turn." Cedric nudged me.

I slowly stuck my hand into the bag. I wrapped my hand around something small and scaly. Pulling it out, I slightly jumped; it had bitten me!

I looked in my palm. A tiny thing with spikes on his tail stared up at me and coughed out a puff of smoke. "Ah- a Hungarian Horn Tail. Quite interesting little things!"

Thirty minutes later, we all stood in the entrance of the tent. Filch sounded the first bell and Cedric was out.

Over the next five minutes, we all exited till it was just me. I sort of expected Malfoy to come poking his nosy little head in again. But when my name was called, I didn't worry about it. Making sure I had my wand, I exited out into the stadium.

Scanning the stands, I quickly spotted Harry, Ron and Ruby. Ruby was sitting there pouting.

Suddenly, a large beast hopped heavily onto a rock, and shot fire in my direction. I dove, screaming, behind a rock piling, and remembered what Hagrid had told me. "Accio Firebolt!"

A minute of running, dodging and a few Expelliarmus charms later, my broom landed beside me. I mounted it and flew around the dragon, where I spotted a golden egg. The dragon saw me notice it, and blocked the path. I tried flying around the great beast, but its restraint chains broke. So I was forced to fly through the stands to escape it. He of course followed me.

I was approaching a tower, and fast. I hit the railing and flipped over, managing to grab onto the metal bars. My broom fell down just above me, out of my reach.

Cursing out loud, I started inching toward it. The dragon landed on the left side of the tower next to me, and started quickly making his way toward me.

I managed to touch the end of it, but it fell. So did I.

But, miraculously I grabbed onto it and flew around toward the stadium area before the beast could detach from the tower.

Somehow I got their before the dragon and I grabbed the egg. Everyone cheered.

That night, I was lifted into the air by a group of people. Someone suggested I open the egg. "You want me to open it?" I repeated. They cheered in response.

So, once they sat me on the floor, I pressed the button on the top of the thing. It opened slowly and let out a horrible, ear-piercing shriek. I dropped it, causing it to close.

Ruby walked in. "What the bloody hell is going on here!" She growled. We all stared at her. "Ruby, hey, hi-" She stopped me.

"Congrats on the task." Pushing past me, she didn't smile like usual.

That night, I had trouble falling asleep. So, I set out fully equipped with my cloak. I wander around for about thirty minutes till I sit down on the cold marble floor, pulling the cloak into my lap. I fiddled with the hem for a while, mulling some things over.

_I should be worried about the second task. It's the day after tomorrow._ I pondered who could've put my name into the Goblet. _Maybe it was a teacher? Nah. _I stopped thinking about it.

_I don't get it. Why _me_? There isn't anything special about me. I have brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin and freckles. That's so common... So what if I excel in all classes? There is no reason why he has to love _ME_ and not some snobby Slytherin girl._ I was getting angrier and angrier. I felt something in the pocket of the cloak, and reached in. It felt papery, so I pulled it out and unfolded the parchment.

_Hermione-_

_I know you will most likely burn this letter_-

I closed my eyes. I know I'd put the letter in my bedside table. How in the _world_ did it get in here?

I heard footsteps. They were soft, yet I knew they were close.

Instead of turning my head, I simply started to stand up, ever so slowly...

"Hermione."

I clenched my teeth. Why again? I'd had enough of Malfoy to last the rest of the year. He came closer. "Draco, if you co-"

"LISTEN TO ME!" Draco stood right in front of me, causing me to back against the wall. Force of habit.

"I know you don't want to believe it, and trust me- I don't want to either. But...I can't just ignore it. I love you, all right? Please, don't run away from it like you always do. I want this to work out. I want this, to not haunt me for the rest of my bloody life.

"I want you to feel the same way."

Now, if I survive the TriWizard Tournament, I am going to reflect back on this moment and punch myself.

But, instead of denying everything like I should have done, I blurted out, "Draco Lucius Malfoy, the only reason I have been avoiding this subject is because..because...well, because I feel the same way you do!" It took a few seconds for it to sink in. For both of us.

It dawned on me that I had said how part of me felt. I mentally punched myself a million times.

He leaned closer, laying his hands on the wall on each side of my head. "This is...crazy. Unbelievable. Impossible." He shook his head.

"I agree." Grabbing his hand to move it, I made a little _hmph_ sound. "Wait. Look at me." I turned back to him. "I've been waiting for this, since it dawned on me these feelings. This is rather cliché, but would you like to go to the Yule Ball...with me?" He smiled sheepishly. I giggled.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! Hermione, what in God's name are you DOING! _I yelled at myself.

"Well, it would be nice..Yes, yes I would." He smiled wider, prouder. I saw...something different. Instead of the cold glare, piercing your soul, I saw a warm, welcoming look from his eyes.

What happened next, I had no control over. He leaned a little bit closer...and I grabbed his collar, bringing our lips together.

I am _not_ one for mushy-ness, so you can imagine what happened. (**A/N I'm just afraid it'll turn into a sexy scene which would probably get me sued.**)

I don't remember going back to my dorm, but I woke up in my bed. The girls (including Ruby, who had apparently forgiven me) were standing over me, looking worried.

"What's up?" I wondered to nobody in particular.

Ginny sighed and closed her eyes in thought. When she finished thinking, she looked at me seriously. "Hermione, what were you doing in the hallway?" My eyes widened.

"I was in the hallway!" Sitting up, I tried remembering what had happened after the kiss. Oh, right. I fainted. "Dude-" I grabbed Ruby and Ginny's arms. "I need to be down at breakfast. NOW!" I hurriedly dressed and rushed down. Sure enough, Draco was sitting where he always does. I ran over to him and pulled on his shirt to make him follow me.

I told him to hold his questions. Crabbe and Goyle looked confused as I dragged Malfoy over to a seat nobody was at. I was breathing hard. "Okay, here's the thing. Last night was...crazy. Filled with things that would have never happened had I not been on the verge of sleep. And, I'm not quite sure what exactly went down, but I _have_ to do something and it involves you."

He raised an eyebrow. I was in hysterics.

"What I MEAN is – I can't ...I shouldn't.." Gulping, I tired to find the words to say.

"I think you're trying to tell me you won't be able to tell anyone that you..."  
>"...kissed you? Yeah. Something like that. They'll skin me alive. Or, at least, the ones in Gryffindor will."<p>

He smiled. Did he think this was _funny_?

"Oi, Granger! C'mere!" I sighed and murmured a goodbye to Draco. I followed Cedric out to the bridge connecting the school to the Forbidden Forest.

"So.."

"So?"

I looked straight ahead, but I could tell he was studying me. "Just thought I might mention..You should take your egg and think it over. The prefect's bathroom is nice."

I was confused.

Later that day, I grabbed the egg and stole away to the prefect's bathroom. Sinking into the bubbles, I pulled the egg into my lap. Suddenly, I had a wild idea.

Sucking in a breath of air and sinking into the water, I opened the egg. A beautiful melody emitted from the center.

Come seek us where our voices sound,  
>We cannot sing above the ground,<br>And while you're searching, ponder this:  
>We've taken what you'll sorely miss,<br>An hour long you'll have to look,  
>And to recover what we took,<br>But past an hour - the prospect's black  
>Too late, it's gone, it won't come back<p>

I gasped, raising from the water. That means..the second task was at the Black Lake!

And that couldn't mean..._mermaids_!

OoO

I put another book back on the shelf.

"What did it say, again?" I sighed.

"'Come seek us where our voices sound; We cannot sing above the ground.'"

Ruby stopped pacing. "OH MY GOD, I GOT IT!" She turned to me. "The Black Lake!"

We all groaned.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall came up to us. "Ms. Granger, will you come see me in my office?" Ruby and I stood up. "Oh, no. Just Ruby." She followed McGonagall away and I stood there, awkwardly.

At dinner that night, I saw Ruby slip something into Ron's pumpkin juice when he wasn't watching. I glared at her, and she grinned evily. This could not end well...

I just happened to walk into the common room first. Or so I thought. I heard a soft _Mmmm.._ come from the couch, and I slowly approached it. There, lying carelessly on the cushion, was Ron snogging my sister. His hand lay on the small of her back, and the way she was moving made me think it would lower.

"RUBY GENEVIEVE GRANGER, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" I yelled at her. She and Ron fell off of the couch, to my feet. They got up and looked at me, or at least my sister did. "Um, Hermione, hey, hi, how's it going?"

Her cheeks were red. "How's it going? _How's it going_! I will tell you how it's _going_. Not good! My SISTER is snogging one of my BEST FRIENDS." I continued to yell at her for a few seconds till I collapsed in an armchair. "I can't believe this. And when he gets over the love potion..you'll have to explain why he has your lipstick on him." I rubbed my temples.

"Hermione, I have every right to kiss whomever I want to!" I looked at her. "After all, I'm the same age as you, and _you _kissed a Slytherin. I heard through the grapevine that it got...hot." My mouth gaped open. "Ruby, who told you that?" She looked down sheepishly.

"Um, well, y'see, Snape told Ginny this," She stood up straight and tall and got on a serious face, " 'Miss Weasley, I must ask you to keep your friends at bay. They should not be sneaking about at night, with their faces stuck together in such a _provocative _manner.' Then she asked him who he was talking about.

'I am speaking of Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy, you fool.' He said. She told me and I was like OMG! Because I knew he wasn't talking about me."

I had to admit her Snape impression was spot-on, but this was horrible. This was the worst thing that had happened to me all year, right beside being forced to compete in the Tournament.

I went to bed quietly and promised myself I would be a better role model for my sister.

The next morning, Ruby wasn't in her bed. I got up, wondering to myself, and went through the morning routine of getting dressed. Suddenly, Professor McGonagall came up to me and told me to get in a bathing suit. Confused, I did what she asked.

Then I remembered; we were to be going in the Black Lake. When we got there, us champions were lined up on a stand. Dumbledore explained that we had one hour to rescue one of the students placed at the bottom of the lake. Before he let us go in, he mentioned that merpeople were guarding them.

I made no indication I knew this. I downed the small pill and dived.

I felt an odd sensation on my neck and started slashing around in the water. Looking down, there were fins instead of feet. Then I realized the pill'd worked. I swam in the direction I guessed they were at.

Sure enough, there was Ruby, Cho Chang, Draco Malfoy (wait what?) Lavender Brown, and Fleur's little sister floated, held down by chains. Cedric swam over to Cho and turned to me, jabbing a finger to his watch. Nodding, I grabbed Ruby by her arm and pulled. The chains disintegrated.

A shark-like thing flew by (Viktor Krum) and grabbed Lavender. I was about to swim back up to the surface, when I realized nobody would be able to get Draco. So, launching Ruby upwards, I swam down to him.

I reached for his arm, but a merperson shot over to me. "OOONNLLYY OOONNE!" It screeched.

"But- but he's my friend too!" It was a lie, most likely, but I didn't care. Time was running out. I grabbed him, but my feet were grabbed. I launched Draco up and shot a spell at the creatures. The air was tightening in my lungs; time was running out.

Somehow I managed to get away, and it was perfect timing too. The hour was up by the time I got back up and swam onto the platform.

"HERMIONE!" Ruby ran to me and put her towel around me. "You're _soaked_! You must be freezing. Here, sit down." Professor McGonagall ran over and handed me another towel.

Just then, Fleur popped up with her little sister and they swam over quickly.

"ATTENTION EVERYONE! All the champions are out of the water." He said some more things, but I was too numb to pay attention.

"The winner for the second task is Cedric Diggory!" Hogwarts students cheered. "Second place would go to Viktor Krum, but apparent to the circumstances, Hermione Granger wins second place," Hogwarts students cheered again, "for risking her life and placement for someone who wasn't hers to save!"

I smiled. But I wanted so badly to be inside in warm, clean clothes.

**POV:** Draco Lucius Malfoy

**Time:** 36 seconds before the ball

I sighed and put the comb down. My hair was being a prick tonight. What did it matter? _Everything, you idiot. You've waited for this moment since you stepped foot in Hogwarts. _I pushed away the voice.

"Draco, it's time. You're the only one up here." Blaise urged me.

"I know, I know. Go on." I tried my hair again and looked hopefully in the mirror. It sprung up again.

This was going nowhere, so I grabbed my overcoat and headed down, tightening the bow tie on my neck. Descending the stairs, I straitened my clothes.

Hearing small gasps and whispers behind me, I turned my head to the stairs. She walked down slowly, her dress ruffling behind her. Hermione pushed a hair from her face and smiled.

**POV: **Hermione Jean Granger

I descended the stairs. My stomach was fluttery, and I was blushing like crazy. There he was, waiting for me.

I quickly scanned the crowd and found Ruby staring, open-mouthed in disbelief. I could almost hear her saying, 'So it's true!' I smiled, pushing a stray hair from my face.

I had just reached Draco when McGonagall (**A/N She has a lot to do in this story, am I right!**) came over and told us to get on the carpet. Us champions were to dance first. We scurried over and stood in the middle of the dance floor.

Draco put a hand on my waist and one in my hand, and when the music started, we danced. Now, this sounds silly, but it was really fun. I'd catch hell from the girls – and the boys! - but I didn't care.

I could care less, to be honest!

When the fancy dancing was done, a famous band got up and sang. It was a fast beat. We managed to wedge out of the crowd. Plopping by Harry and Ron who were pouting because of lack of dates, I sighed.

"Isn't tonight _fantastic_?" They glared at me.

"Depends on the perspective..." Harry muttered. Ron sat up. "I don't _get it _Hermione! A week ago you would've been disgusted by the very thought of Malfoy! What has gotten into you!" He stood up and glared at me harder.

I stood up, too. "Ronald, I can like whom I want to. Why do you care, anyway? You're not my brother, father or anyone important. So go...go snog Ruby! You had no problem doing it last night!" I ran off.

Sitting on the stairs, I ignored Harry as he tried to talk to me. Draco was probably just now getting back to where I sat down and asking Ron where I went.

Sure enough, he ran up within five seconds. "Hermione- what happened?" he sounded worried.

"Ron was a prick to her. Trying to tell her that..."

Draco nodded in understatement. Men must have some sort of secret language or something, either that or they can read eachothers minds.

"Speak of the devil.." Ron shuffled up. "Oi, Malfoy. We don't want you here, so get away." I stood up and took off my heels. (They were beginning to create blisters on my heels) "Ron! You ruin _everything_!" with that, I ran off to the common room. Of course they chased after me, who wouldn't?

**POV: **Ronald Bilius Weasley

I couldn't believe it. I was _trying _to be helpful! After all, she wouldn't want to end up marrying a Slytherin.

But, then again, deep down inside me I knew that the only reason I wanted Malfoy away is that I might, maybe, like her a little bit a lot. I kicked myself, earning a questionable look from Harry.

**POV: **Hermione Jean Granger

~Third, and last, Task~

"All right, and if any of you wish to withdrawal from the task, simply send up red sparks with your wand."

We lined up at our respectable places, and Cedric went into the maze when the bell rang, and then me, followed by the others. I wandered around for a minute or so, till I heard a scream. It was from Fleur, and she wasn't far from me, so I ran.

I got there just in time to see her get taken under the bush. I ran further into the maze and literally ran into Cedric. We both apologized.

"DUCK!" he yelled suddenly and we did. Turning around, I saw Krum. He looked..possessed. Then it hit me – the imperius curse! I gasped and ran with Cedric some distance till we saw a bright, blue light; the Cup!

Cedric fell while running, and I heard him scream something about vines..I was contemplating simply leaving him there. But instead I shot at the vines till he could escape. We ran up to the cup. "Cedric.." _pant, pant,_ "you take it," _pant, pant,_ "I don't need it." _Pant, pant."_

He shook his head. "No, Hermione. You deserve it." The hedge was enclosing around us quicker and quicker. "Cedric- on three, we both grab the Cup. One...two...three!" we both grabbed it, and just as the bushes were about to squish us, we teleported out of there.

We landed in some sort of graveyard. "Cedric...the cup! It was a port key!" We scrambled up and ran toward it. Just then, a group of Death Eaters appeared around us. One of them yelled something and shot Cedric with a killing curse.

Everything collapsed in my eyes. How...who...why!

I was thrown onto the ground. I apparently passed out for a minute, because when I opened my eyes...I was being held by a statue. I saw a short, snivelly man walk up to a cauldron with something in his arms...Peter Pettigrew!

He put numerous things in the cauldron then came up to me with a knife. "NO!" I screamed as he slit my arm. Peter dropped the blood into the cauldron and then the small babyish thing. Thirty grueling seconds later, a figure emerged from the bowl. It's skin a pasty white, it's nose but two slits and the mouth very, very thin. I noticed his fingers were abnormally long and thin..

Lord Voldemort.

He stepped out onto the soil – barefooted – and opened his eyes. They were just slits, and bloodred. I shuddered.

He addressed the Death Eaters. "It's been thirteen years. Thirteen years, and none of you have tried to find me. Not even you." He grabbed the mask of several of them, and they fell to their knees.

"Even you, Lucius, didn't return." He ripped off Lucius' mask. I gaped; Mr. Malfoy was a DEATH EATER?

"S-sir, I ret-turned!" Pettigrew spluttered.

"Out of _fear_, Wormtail! Not loyalty!" He came upon Cedric's body. "Such a shame. So handsome." He nudged his face with his ugly, white foot.  
>"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" I screamed at Voldemort. He turned. "Ah, Hermione! I'd almost forgotten you were there, standing on the bones of my father! I'd introduce you," he gestured to his followers, "but word has it, you're almost as famous as I."<p>

He made his way up to me. "How was it you managed to stay alive? To cause me to lose my power? Many would say your mother's love kept you from dying. Lily Granger needn't have died, Hermione."

I gritted my teeth. "What do you want with me, Voldemort?" The name tasted of venom.

"I want nothing more than to finish what I started; to kill you. And, I have your blood running in my veins..." he reached a finger toward my forehead, "I can touch you. Watch this, my followers, as I do what, 13 years ago, was impossible." He touched the scar on my forehead, and I felt a burning sensation.

When I let out a scream, he laughed evily, and then made the statue let me go. I dropped to the ground, panting. "Stand up, you fool. We shall duel to the death!" I wearily put a foot on the ground, and stood up shakily. "Now, as you know, we bow before a duel." He bowed grandly. I simply scowled at him.

"I said, _bow_!" His magic forced me to, and it hurt to bow.

We stood up and pointed our wands at eachother. One death eater started to walk up too, but Voldemort stopped him. "I will be the one to kill Hermione Granger."

At the same time I screamed out, _EXPELLIARMUS!_ He yelled, _AVADA KADAVRA!_

The green and the red sparks combined and we fought. I wondered how this was possible. Within a few seconds I saw some sort of blue objects flying out from the sparks, and figures landed beside me.

"Honey, the twin cores are fighting. When I say so, let go." I knew that voice. Where had I heard it?  
>On my right, "Hermione, take my body back. Take my body to my father. Please." This was Cedric...Cedric's ghost!<p>

Then back on my left, "Sweetheart, let go. Let go." It dawned on me: my mother and father's ghosts!

I stopped fighting it and dove down, grabbed Cedric's body and the cup. I heard Voldemort scream in anger as I apparated out of there.

I landed in the middle of the field. Viktor and Fleur stood next to Dumbledore and Fudge.

I didn't stand up when the headmaster ran over. "He's back! Voldemort's back and he's killed Cedric!"

Burying my face in Cedric's chest, I wished it would all go away. I'm not sure but I think I was taken away by Madam Pomfrey and put in the Hospital Wing.

I cried myself to sleep and didn't go to dinner.

The next night, they said that I had been appointed the winner of the TriWizard Tournament. I was given the cup and the large amount of Galleons. Of course, I smiled throughout the whole shindig.

The same night, I was packing all my stuff into my suitcases when Ruby came up to me and sat on the bed.

"Hey, Hermione? I wanted to apologize a few days ago. After the first task...I realized you'd have to be a retard to enter your name in that cup. So...forgive me?"

I smiled and hugged her. "Of course I do, but..." I pulled away, "are you okay with me...and Draco?" I smiled sheepishly. It felt so weird to say it like that.

She smiled too. "Of course! But only if you approve me totally dating Ron." I laughed and said yes.

The train ride home was amazing. We had plenty of laughs. Of course, Ron hadn't totally forgiven me and I hadn't forgiven him. But we'd patch it up next year...right?


	6. Author's Note

**I am so sorry for the long delay for the next chapter, but it's really long because I'm using a different method for writing it. So far I have 11,159 words, which is a lot more than usual. Till the full chapter is out, I'll give you a sneak peek of it. :)  
><strong>

I stepped out into the moonlight. A slight breeze ruffled my nightgown. The grass was sprinkled with dew and it felt wonderful on my bare feet. I ran through it, down in the direction of the lake. I saw Draco standing there, staring out into the water.

His pale, bare back was white against the moonlight and dark water. I stepped up next to him, resting my head on his shoulder.

We didn't speak for a few seconds, just admired the moon on the water. "I'm glad you came down. For a minute I thought I'd have to stand out here alone," he commented softly. I closed my eyes, enjoying the breeze on my cheek. I felt Draco's arm wrap around my waist, and he kissed my head.

The whole thing was really romantic. "Would you like to dance?" He suggested. I said yes, of course. We danced around the area to a melody only we could hear. When he spun me, my hair flew out slightly behind me, casting a long shadow on the ground. He pulled me in, and dipped me.

He pulled me back up, real close, and we kissed.

I haven't taken the time to say what a good kisser he is, have I? I don't believe I have! Well, now I have.

The kiss went a little like this: He pulled me in, my hand slipped down from his shoulder to the small of his back, and his stayed just above my waistline on my back. He closed his eyes and kissed me. I closed mine, savoring the moment.

Did I mention he smells like vanilla? I sucked in a slow breath, enjoying the air playing with the smell. So sweet, right?

For the next hour, we sat side by side, holding hands, facing the water. We talked silently of everything and nothing. When it was time to head back to the castle, I stood on my tip-toes and kissed his nose. We laughed and headed up together, hand-in-hand.

** Please remembe to R/R Review, Favorite, Subscribe, all that fluffy stuff. I do _not _own Hermione or Draco. :) **

** oh and there's a picture for this. I drew it last night when I should've been writing, or worse, sleeping. Just check out my DeviantART account, ****3hellokittylitterE and click on the latest picture. :)**


	7. The Order of the Phoenix Part One

**Thank you everyone who has been with me from the beginning, and not giving up on this story. I enjoy writing it. =)**

**I still don't own any of the people in this story except Ruby. **

**OH, and please do review on whether or not you expected Draco to be so...um...what's the word? Different! Around Hermione. **

**Order of the Phoenix**

**POV: **Hermione Granger

I pulled back slightly and let the wind push me forward. I didn't know what was up with me, but I just didn't feel the urge to be cheery today. Ruby sat in the dirt, writing a letter to Ron. I couldn't believe she was the same age as me; she looked at least 12 right now.

"Hey Hermione?" I blinked. "Didja know the person we're destined to marry is walking on the Earth at this very moment?" I sighed.

"Of course, Ruby. Everyone knows that."

The clouds were starting to bunch together, getting darker. I stood up and told Ruby to finish the letter quickly.

"Aww, really?"

"It's going to rain, Ruby. Do you want your _brand new _clothes to get wet?" She shook her head and got up. We walked a little ways, but halfway to our house two drunk guys hobbled up near us. They yelled something, but I ignored it, grabbing my sister's arm and turning around.

We ran into an alley and waited for the men to leave. As we were about to head home, it got really dark and cold. It felt like...like I would never feel happiness again. I reached for my wand, holding it up. Me and Ruby stood back to back, waiting for someone to jump out and attack us. Just then, I heard my sister scream in horror. I turned. She was on the floor clawing at the ground beside her.

A dementor was closing in on her. I screamed!

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Out of my wand came a bright blue light as well as a blue stag. The dementors (there were two!) were shot back. I held it there till I was sure they were gone. Then, I dropped down next to Ruby.

"Oh my...I never knew it would be that big.." I heard behind me. I shot up, wand at ready, and saw old Mrs. Figg. I put my wand down. "Don't put that away, child!" She hobbled over and helped me pick up Ruby. She was light, for a 15 year old. The front door was always locked, so I had to struggle to get the key.

When we got inside, Mrs. Figg explained to our parents that Ruby had just fainted from hearing a loud noise and that she'll be okay. I got in bed and pulled out a piece of parchment, a quill, and some ink. Just then, though, an envelope flew into my room. It cleared its throat and said:

"Hermione Jean Granger, of 2 Privet Drive, at 8:42 PM, you created a Patronus charm outside of school grounds. Also, you did magic in front of a muggle. You are now _expelled_ from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Have a good day." With that, it tightened its lips and exploded. I parted my lips in disbelief and dropped the ink bottle I'd been clutching. Then I started crying. _No more Hogwarts? No more magic? No more..._I couldn't bring myself to think of what else – and who else – I'd be missing.

My mum came in and saw me crying, so she sat next to me. "I heard the letter..I'm so sorry sweetheart." I cried into her shoulder and she rubbed my head.

This was the first time I'd shown much emotion to her since I got back from my second year.

OoO

I sat in my bed alone, pondering what had happened. How did this happen? Why were the dementors in Little Whinging? They're supposed to be guarding Azkaban. And...how could I be expelled so quickly?

**On the way back home..**

"Mrs. Figg? Do you know about magic?" she nodded.

"Of course I do! I'm a squib. I've been in contact with Albus Dumbledore for a long time." I nod.

"Hermione. You've been followed all summer, you know. Mundungus Fletcher was supposed to be on duty tonight but left early."

Just then, a short man apparated in front of us. "FLETCHER!" Mrs. Figg shouts and hits him with her bag. I swear, either it has rocks in it or cat food!

"Hurry, you little excuse of a man. Go inform Dumbledore! Now!" He apparated out. We approached my house and she bid me farewell.

I decided I could become a fugitive, live outside the rules of magic. I'd run away. I dropped several important things in my purse (Of course, putting a charm on it!) and with one last look at my sister, I headed out to the living room.

"Sweetheart, sit down please." I obliged confusedly.

"Honey, what happened?" I explained. When I got to the end, my dad turned to me. "What are dementors?" Before I could answer, an owl flew in with a letter. I opened it.

_Hermione-_

_Stay where you are. Do not leave the house. Do not let __Ministry representatives break you wand, and don't to use magic again; Dumbledore is straightening things out_

_-Arthur Weasley_

I set the letter down. What was that supposed to mean? I shook my head and put it down, giving the owl a cracker. I started to explain more, but another owl came with two letters. One was from Sirius, briefly explaining Dumbledore was straightening things out. The other one was from the ministry. They had revoked my expulsion and wand destruction, but I had a hearing scheduled for 9 A.M. On August 12th. I gulped.

"What is it honey?" my mum wondered.

"I'm not getting expelled!" She hugged me. So did my dad.

I picked up the ink jar and quill, and set out three letters. One to Sirius, one to Ron, and one to Harry. I instructed Hedwig to get detailed replies from each.

I was getting frustrated! I felt cut off from the wizarding world.

For the next three days, I remained locked up in my room.

On the third day, Mum and Dad left for an awards ceremony and told us to keep the house tidy. Then, before they left, they decided to take Ruby with them. To keep her out of trouble. I waved them goodbye and went back to my room.

At around 7 P.M. I heard a crash in the kitchen and I grabbed my wand. My bedroom door clicked open. (I'd locked it.) I advanced to the stairs cautiously and saw..I counted them, nine witches and wizards.

Mad-Eye Moody and Lupin greeted me. I stuck my wand in my back pocket.

"Oi! Don't do that! Wizards better than you have lost their buttocks by doing that!" Moody warned me. I imagined someone having his behind blown off. Didn't look fun..

I followed them outside, grabbing my broomstick. We flew off (I couldn't yet apparate.) on a long, cold flight. An hour later, we landed in a lower-class neighborhood. Moody shoved a scrap of paper to me. "Memorize it." he said.

The paper read, 'The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.' Then, we crossed the road and Mad-Eye struck the pavement three times with his broom and a building emerged from between 11 and 13. They ushered me in. The interior is as rundown and shabby as the outside, but it had a cozy feel to it.

Molly Weasley welcomed us and sent me upstairs, to the second door on the left. Once there, I opened the door to Ruby hugging me so quickly I could only see her bushy, dark-red hair. "Let'er breathe, Ruby. You're acting like it's been a year since you've seen your sister." Harry joked. I hugged Ron and him also. I noticed Hedwig's peck marks on their hands calmed me a little from the fact they withheld information.

"Hermione, Dumbledore swore us to secrecy, we swear!"

I'd been yelling at them some. When I settled down, I asked them where we were. "This is the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society founded by Dumbledore to combat You-Know-Who. We haven't been to any of the meetings, though.." just then, George, Fred and Ginny came in.

We conversed for a few minutes till they revealed that Percy'd become estranged from the family.

"He got promoted to a 'prestigious position' in the Ministry." Ruby said.

"It's surprising 'cause of the events concerning Mr. Crouch." Ron added.

Ginny turned to me. "He had a fight with our dad, because he'd suggested the only reason he was promoted was so he could spy on the family. Percy moved to London..."

I noticed a _Daily Prophet_ and picked it up. "They've been using you as a joke to say You-Know-Who hasn't returned." "It's pathetic!" George and Fred commented.

Mrs. Weasley called us down for dinner. I jogged down the stairs and as I was passing two moth-eaten curtains, Tonks knocked over an umbrella stand. The curtains flew open and a portrait of a woman with a dark pallor stood on the wall. She screamed out horrible: "Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers..." Molly and Tonks tried to close the curtains. I slipped passed and Sirius was in the doorway. He greeted me with a hug.

"You've just met my mother." I laughed. "Seems nice!" I joked.

We headed into the dining room, sitting down in front of empty plates.

"I inherited this house, after my mother's death. Of course, I was in Azkaban at the time." He shrugged. "Providing the house as the headquarters for the Order is one of the few useful contributions I have been able to make." he added gloomily.

Fred and George attempted to magically serve dinner, sending a chopping board, knife, a pitcher of Butterbeer, and a pot of stew careening onto the table.

The stew barely was on the edge of the table, the Butterbeer was half empty now, and the knife was sticking right where Sirius's hand had been moments before.

"Just because you are allowed to do it, doesn't mean you have to use magic!" Molly screamed at them. I caught bits and pieces of the conversations going on; Tonks was taking requests for different noses; Bill was speaking of the Goblins' stance on Voldemort, how it was affected by the dealings with Ludo Bagman; and the thief Mundungus Fletcher's comical business dealings.

After dinner, Sirius suggested I should ask questions about Voldemort.

"Good god, Sirius! She is only fifteen! She shouldn't know-" Sirius stopped her. "She's old enough and should have more information."

Molly scoffed. "You're treating her more like a substitute for her father than your goddaughter."

Of course, Lupin and Arthur side with Sirius. There's a disagreement between Molly and the others about who should be able to listen.

"If Hermione gets to, then I should too!" Ruby declared. Harry and Ron shouted in agreement. In the end, Ginny had to go to bed; she was the youngest.

"Have any murders been committed?" I asked. Lupin shook his head. "You-Know-Who wants to keep a low profile. The ministry of course has been feverently denying His return.

"Dumbledore was demoted from the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of Wizards and from Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot after publicly announcing that Lord Voldemort was active again." He shook his head.

Moody hobbled up behind Tonks. "The Order's recruiting new members. That includes foreign ones. Also, we're concentrating on the Auror department in the Ministry."

Apparently, Members who work for the ministry must tread carefully, as the Minister threatened to fire anyone friendly with Dumbledore. He's paranoid that Dumbledore wants to take over the ministry. "There's also a weapon that the Order is trying to guard-"

"All right, that's enough. Time for bed, kids!" We groaned but headed upstairs. I slept with nightmares that night.

We spent the next morning ridding the house of doxies. I caught Fred putting a paralyzed doxy in his pocket and he explained he was going to use it for an expiriment for new joke products.

Around 11 A.M. Mundungus Fletcher arrived, with stolen cauldrons. Molly went into a rage.

I heard her furiously preparing lunch, so I headed downstairs. I saw a small, wizened House-elf cleaning a tapestry. He was muttering obscenities about 'mudbloods.' I gaped at him until he noticed me.

"That's enough, Kreacher." Sirius scolded him and the elf walked out to clean elsewhere. I noticed the tapestry. "Sirius, what's this?" I pointed.

He chuckled. "It's the 'Noble and Most Ancient House of Black' family tree. My mother blasted of various members for 'sins' against the family. Mostly for associating with, marrying, or sympathizing with Half-bloods and Muggles." He pointed out that pure-blood wizarding families like the Blacks area almost all interrelated.

I took notice that some family connections included the Malfoys, the Lestranges, the Weasleys, the PreWetts, the Tonks and a former Headmaster. (Phineas Nigellus)

"My brother, Regulus, was once a Death Eater. He got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out."  
>I asked what happened.<p>

"He got killed."

Over the next few days, we cleaned the house. Kreacher often rescued discarded family heirlooms and Dark objects. Other Order members visited, too.

The day before the ministry hearing, Mrs. Weasley reminded me to get a nice outfit ready. "Arthur'll escort you." Dumbledore had requested it, when he was at Grimmuald Place the night before.

I was vexed that he avoided me.

I woke up early, too nervous to eat breakfast. Arthur and I headed out, going through the streets and into a phone booth. He hit some numbers, and a cool voice said, "Departing to the Ministry of Magic." We then descended underground.

We entered a huge, brightly lit atrium with a large fountain at the center.

We squeezed into a lift as well as several paper planes. Mr. Weasley explained that they had tried owls, and the mess was unbelievable. We passed the Auror office, where there were several pictures of family, Quidditch, and Sirius Black. Kingsley Shacklebolt enters as though he and Arthur are on poor terms.

He gives them a magazine amongst some files, murmuring that Sirius might be intrested in it.

Mr. Weasley invites him to dinner eqally quietly. We stop at his office (which is noticeabley tiny) and he mentions his work investigating exploding toilets caused by anti-Muggle pranksters. Perkins runs in announcing the time and place of the hearing changed, making me late. We ran to the new location, old Courtroom 10 in the basement. He left me just outside the courtroom, bidding me good luck.

I'd be doing this alone.

I entered, realizing this is where the Death Eaters were tried. Cornelius Fudge was acting as the head of the Wizengamot, and I'm suprised to see Percy's the scribe.

The door then opened and Dumbledore sweeped in. He announced himself as witness for the defence. Several members of the court were discomfortated.

Fudge begins questioning, giving me little time to answer. Finally, frustrated, I exclaimed, "I did it because of the dementors!"

The Wizengemot were stunned. Amelia Bones asked me about the dementor's presence.

"We have another witness," Dumbledore said, "Arabella Figg."

Mrs. Figg sat in the chair, nervous. "Describe them." Fudge said.

"Well...one was rather tall and skinny...and the other was small and eqally skinny."

Cornelius sighed. "Not the kids, the _dementors!_" She said they were tall, dark, and hooded. She mentioned that they had the affect of discomfort. She felt like she'd never be happy again.

Many people doubt Squibs can see dementors, but she was spot on with the description. After she left, the head of Wizengamot tried to regain the court's flow, saying my actions had little to do with the dementor's presence. "Raise your hand if you think this child is guilty of all charges." Several raise their hands, notably Dolores Umbridge. She was obviously a horrible person, I could tell.

"Hermione has broken no laws if she was protecting herself and Ruby from a life-threatening danger, as it is noted in the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery."

"Rules can be changes, Albus!" Fudge countered.

He sighed. "Raise your hand if you think Hermione should be cleared of all charges." Everyone raised their hands (except the ones that disagreed, of course.)

I turned to thank Dumbledore, but he was already gone.

OoO

I told Mr. Weasley the good news and he commented that Dumbledore didn't speak to him when he left. He was suprised that I'd been tried by the entire Wizengamot.

I saw Arthur's mouth tighten as Percy walked pass.

Back at 12 Grimmuald Place, everyone was relieved that I'd been exonerated. Fred, George and Ginny broke into a victory dance chanting, "She got off, she got off, she got off!" until Mrs. Weasley yells at them.

Over the next few days, I noticed Sirius seemed sad. Ron suggested he was secretly hoping I'd become an outcast like him and live at Grimmuald Place. My spirits were lifted, and I dreamed of Hogwarts.

A day before school started, the booklists _finally _arrived. "I wonder who the new DADA teacher is.." Ruby wondered aloud.

Also, it turns out that not only had I become a prefect, but so had Ron. Mrs. Weasley said she'd buy him a new broom, along with: "Oh Ronnie! Now that's everyone in the family!"

George responded with, "What're Fred and I? Next door neighbors?" We all laughed.

At the celebration dinner, Sirius congratulated me and commented that my father hadn't been a prefect and that he'd be very proud right now. As I was about to head upstairs to go to bed, Mad-Eye showed me a picture of the origional Order of the Phoenix. He pointed out my parents.

They were smiling. I felt tears in my eyes and made an excuse to go to bed.

I passed the drawing room, where I heard Mrs. Weasley sobbing, trying to banish a boggart. Each time she waved her wand, another family member's image appears – dead. I also saw a dead Ruby and I. Lupin comes to her rescue, finishing off the boggart and comfoting her. I slipped away.

OoO The next day

I woke up to chaos. Everyone was running around, trying to pack as quickly as possible. As we were about to leave, Sirius insisted he come along in his dog form. Molly didn't like it, but he came anyway. We waited for Sturgis Podmore, who was late. We just left without him. Sirius stayed by my side, snapping at pigeons. It must've felt good to get outside for once.

We bid them all goodbye on the platform, and Ron, Harry, Ruby, Fred, George, Ginny and I board the train. Fred and George depart to talk business with Lee Jordan. Ron and I leave them to go to the other prefects for instructions. We promised to return soon.

**POV: **Ruby Genevieve Granger

We passed along, trying to find an empty compartment. Ginny finds one with only two people, Neville Longbottom and a strange, blonde girl who emanates an aura of distinct dottiness. She is reading a magazing (The Quibbler) upside down. "Ruby, Harry, this is Luna Lovegood."

We conversed for a while, till the conversation turned to the odd plant in Neville's lap; his birthday gift. It was a 'rare Mimbulus Mmbletonia plant' he stated.

Pokeing it with his wand, I figured nothing would happen. But its 'defense mechanism' is a horrid-smelling green pus. Cho Chang walked by, noticing it and walking faster. We cleaned it up quickly. Ron and Hermione walk up.

**POV: **Hermione Jean Granger

We plopped into the seats. I said hi to Luna and Neville. "Soooo, who are the prefects for every house?" Ruby asked.

"Well, Malfoy and Parkinson are the Slytherin Prefects," I started

"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott are the Hufflepuff Prefects," Ron added,

"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil are the Ravenclaw Prefects." I finished.

Ron told a bad joke, to which Luna laughed inappropriately loudly at. I noticed Sirius's name on Luna's magazine cover and asked to borrow it.

I read an article claiming Sirius alter-ego is a singer and realized it was bogus. Ruby disdainfully says that the Quibbler is rubbish.

"My father's the editor." Luna said.

Just then, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle appear. I shrunk behind Ruby so he wouldn't notice me. That was the _last _thing I needed. "So, Potter, how does it feel being second to Weasley?" Harry was just about to retort when Ruby straigtened up.

"Hey, prick! How does your father feel knowing you love my sister, a Gryffindor half-blood! Huh?"

If she could read minds, she's be traumatized by the amount of expletives I just used. Not only did Draco's jaw drop, but everyone except Luna's did too. "Who...told...you...that?" he asked through clenched teeth. She smirked and pointed to Ginny, who shook her head. Ruby sat back, crossing her arms and smirking. Which revealed me. I turned my head.

His glare burned in the back of my head. "Granger. C'mere. Goyle, Crabbe, I'll catch up later." I stood up and edged my way out. We walked to the very back of the train to an empty compartment. I fidgeted with my thumbs, looking at them. I heard Draco sigh.

"You're making this really, really difficult, you know?" I didn't make a sound.

"Draco, I don't want this to be hard. I do have feelings, and I do understand that this has to work out somehow. But, I was going over things in my head and...I don't think we should be.." I stuck my fingers together. He understood. I stood up, opening the cabin door and stepping into the hall. The train jolted, sending me into the wall.

Draco stepped out and looked at me till I looked back. Then – dare I say it – I kissed him. Just a kiss. Nothing else. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. (Yes, on the lips.) He was surprised, of course, but kissed me back.

I heard a small gasp and turned my head just in time to see Ruby ducking back into the cabin. I growled and hugged Draco to my side, making my way down the hall.

I opened the door and glared in. "Ruby, I cannot believe you. Actually, yes I can. I just forgave you for snogging with Ron-" they were shocked at that. Except Luna, "but now, I'm not so sure I want you with him. But still. If I get to kiss a Slytherin, I guess you get to kiss one of our best friends." I shrugged and yawned. "Anyway, I'm not going to be in this cabin anymore. Bye Ginny, Harry, Luna, Neville." I grabbed my stuff and headed to the cabin I'd talked to Draco in.

I even let him sit with me. How sweet is _that_? He hinted once that he recognized Sirius, and I blew it off, saying it was just a family dog.

When we reached Hogwarts, we didn't hear Hagrid's familiar voice greeting the first-years. Instead, we heard Profesor Grubbly-Plank. We had to grab our luggage and carry it to the carriages. When we got there, I was shocked the horses weren't there.

In their place, there were black, skeletal horse-like creatures with leathery skin and wings. I ask Ruby, Ron and Harry if they see them, but they see nothing. Have I gone mad? Luna walked up and said she sees them too, and that I'm just as sane as she is. I wasn't really reassured..

Once we entered the Great Hall, we scanned for Hagrid, but he wasn't there. Perhaps he was still on his Order of the Phoenix mission.

I also noticed a short, curly-haired woman with a pallid, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.

Even before Dumbledore introduced her, I knew she was the nasty questioner from my trial with the Wizengamot: Dolores Umbridge. She gave a rather dull speech, which I summed up to the others as: "It means, the Ministry's taken over Hogwarts." We groaned

McGonagall brought out the Sorting Hat before we could furthur discuss.

In times of old when I was new  
>And Hogwarts barely started<br>The Founders of our noble school  
>Thought never to be parted:<br>nited by a common goal,  
>They had the selfsame yearning<br>To make the world's best magic school  
>And pass along their learning.<br>"Together we will build and teach!"  
>The Four good friends decided<br>And never did they dream that they  
>Might someday be divided,<br>For were there such friends anywhere  
>As Slytherin and Gryffindor?<br>Unless it was the second pair  
>Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?<br>So how could it have gone so wrong?  
>How could such friendships fail?<br>Why, I was there and so can tell  
>The whole sad, sorry tale.<br>Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those  
>Whose ancestry is purest."<br>Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose  
>Intelligence is surest."<br>Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those  
>With brave deeds to their name,"<br>Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,  
>And treat them just the same."<br>These differences caused little strife  
>When first they came to light,<br>For each of the four founders had  
>A House in which they might<br>Take only those they wanted, so,  
>For instance, Slytherin<br>Took only pure-blood wizards  
>Of great cunning, just like him,<br>And only those of sharpest mind  
>Were taught by Ravenclaw<br>While the bravest and the boldest  
>Went to daring Gryffindor,<br>Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,  
>And taught them all she knew,<br>Thus the Houses and their founders  
>Retained friendships firm and true.<br>So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
>For several happy years,<br>But the discord crept among us  
>Feeding on our faults and fears.<br>The Houses that, like pillars four,  
>Had once held up our school,<br>Now turned upon each other and,  
>Divided, sought to rule.<br>And for a while it seemed the school  
>Must meet an early end,<br>What with dueling and with fighting  
>And the clash of friend on friend<br>And at last there came a morning  
>When old Slytherin departed<br>And though the fighting then died out  
>He left us quite downhearted.<br>And never since the founders four  
>Were whittled down to three<br>Have the Houses been united  
>And they once were meant to be.<br>And now the Sorting Hat is here  
>And you all know the score:<br>I sort you into Houses  
>Because that is what I'm for,<br>But this year I'll go further,  
>Listen closely to my song:<br>Though condemned I am to split you  
>Still I worry that it's wrong,<br>Though I must fulfill my duty  
>And must quarter every year<br>Still I wonder whether sorting  
>May not bring the end I fear.<br>Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
>The warning history shows,<br>For our Hogwarts is in danger  
>From external, deadly foes<br>And we must unite inside her  
>Or we'll crumble from within<br>I have told you, I have warned you..  
>Let the sorting now begin<p>

We all clapped and the first years were sorted. Nearly Headless Nick told me this was not the first warning the Hat had given.

As we were heading up to our dorms, I realized I didn't know the password. Neville came up behind me and said he knew the password. I didn't believe him, but I let'im try. "Mimbulus Mimbletonia!" he said proudly. The Fat Lady swung open, much to my suprise, and we headed inside.

Seamus said, "Hey! Hermione! Guess what? Me mam only reluctantly allowed me to return. You know? She thinks Dumbledore and yours claim that You-Know-Who has returned is a lie. And I agree with'er!"

We argued over that, Neville siding with me. Dean ignored us completely.

Then, Ruby and Ron came in and joined the argument. Well, Ruby did.

In a few seconds, Ron threatened to use his Prefect power, ending the disagreement. I know few people believe me.

Before I sat down to write some stuff on a parchment, I muttered to myself, "They'll know we're right in the end."

In the morning, it was just as frustrating as the previous night. Now Lavender Brown was skeptical about my story, as well.

At breakfast, there was no sign of Hagrid. "Maybe Professor Dumbledore hasn't mentioned it to avoid drawing attention?" I suggested.

Angelina Johnson, who became the Quidditch captain, told Harry the try-outs will be on Friday. She wants everyone there.

Professor McGonagall handed out class schedules which seemed pretty strenuous this year. I noticed Fred and George were offering their defective Skiving Snackboxes for a discount. I heard their lack of concern for school, and George even mentioned that they considered not returning to Hogwarts.

They didn't answer where the money was coming from, and to that I smirked.

During a break in our morning classes, Cho Chang ran into us. Literally. We helped her with her books, and apparently was looking for Harry. I rolled my eyes and ignored the conversation until Ron insulted her favorite Quidditch team. She left, and I scolded him.

In potions, we were given a particularly difficult potion to brew. I of course aced it, but Harry's had to have his Vanished. He missed an instruction.

The Divination lesson that followed was uneventful, thankfully.

In DADA, Umbridge told us to put away our wands and take notes.

"We will be learning a Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year." She gave us the course aims. "Please read the first chapter in your textbooks, please." She smiled and walked up and down the isles. I raised my hand for a solid minute until she asked me, "Yes, dear?"

"There aren't any course aims concerning actually _using _defensive spells, Professor Umbridge." She laughed a little _pip-pip_.

"Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell. Instead, students will study the theory and perform the spells in their O." She smiled tightly again.

We had a heated discussion about the necessity of learning practical Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has _not_ returned, I assure you." I glared at her. "Then how did Cedric Diggory die?" I yelled. She said by accident.

"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort, not by accident!" The classroom hushed.

Umbridge closed her eyes and inhaled. She then sent me to Professor McGonagall's office with a note detailing my detention.

"Granger, I must warn you to tread carefully around Dolores Umbridge- the Ministry of Magic is interfering at Hogwarts, after all." I sighed and nodded, heading off. 

At dinner, I picked at my food, ignoring the conversation involving what I said in Professor Umbridge's class. "I think, the reason most people don't believe the story is because there's not much concrete evidence!" Ruby suggesteed.

We headed up to the common room to do homework. Fred and George were using First Years to test Fainting Fancies for their Skiving Snackboxes line. I scolded them and threatened to tell Mrs. Weasley, which stopped their testing.

I finished my homework in silence and sat staring at the fire.

I was worried about Hagrid. He might be hurt, or worse- dead. I tried to not think about it.

When I stepped into Umbridge's office, I couldn't help but feel sick to my stomach at the amount of pink cuteness. It's decorated with doilies and kittens on plates.

"You will be writing lines for me." I sat down and pulled out a quill. "Oh, no. You won't be needing that." She reached in her desk and pulled out a black quill.

I was just about to start writing. "I need some ink." She assured me I wouldn't need any.

"What do I write and how many lines?" She thought for a second. "I must not tell lies. And, ah, just till it...sinks in." She smiles her tight smile and I began writing. With every word I write, I notice a scar on my left hand. I stop to scrutinize it and realize it's the exact words I'm writing.

Then it dawns on me; I'm writing in my own blood. I don't say anything, but just keep writing. It hurts every time.

After around 20 lines, she allows me to stop. I get back to the dorm really late. Luckily I finished my homework earlier. In the morning, I notice Ron had to finish his in the morning and I ask him about it. "I was out taking a walk late last night." He says. I suspect him of other things, but keep quiet.

Every night following that, I had detention. And as I left on Thursday, the words are obviously never going to go away. I run into Ron in the hallway and he steps back, trying to conceal his broom behind his back.

"Ron? What's with the broom?" He admits to practicing to try out for the Keeper on the Quidditch team, and I smile. I wipe a stray hair from my face and he notices my hand, grabbing it. "Hermione, how did you..when...who?" He stuttered. I stuffed my hands in my pockets and disregarded it.

"I'm serious. How did it happen?" I stared at him for the longest time before I admitted to what had been happening in detention.

"Hermione! You have to tell Professor McGongagall!" I told him it was a private battle.

Friday night, Umbridge grabbed my hand to check my work. I felt a searing pain in my scar and sucked in a sharp breath, gritting my teeth. I ran out and collapsed in the hallway, breathing hard. My scar still tingled with pain. _Does that mean... No, it couldn't. _I shook my head and tried getting up, holding onto the wall. I started to fall again but felt hands around my waist, helping me up.

Draco's image automatically triggered in my mind, but when I turned to thank someone, it was Harry. "Hey- thanks." I smiled crookedly. "No problem. What's up?" We started walking. "Nothing, um, I've just been feeling sick to my stomach." The lie burned in my throat.

We were a hallway from the stairs when he stopped. "Hey, Hermione?" I turned. "This is really weird admitting it, but," Harry stepped closer, "I, uh, really like you." I raised an eyebrow. "As more than a friend."

I blinked; he was dead serious. My hand flew to my scar and I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Just then, Peeves flew down singing an obnoxious song, so we ran up the stairs into the common room.

We were greeted by a small party; Ron'd been chosen as Keeper.

"Hermione, you should tell Dumbledore about your scar hurting."

I'd just told Ron and Ruby about it.

"That's the only bit of me Dumbledore cares about, isn't it, my scar?" I asked bitterly, pulling out a piece of parchment.

"Remember to not put anything on the paper that can be intercepted." Ruby warned as I wrote to Sirius.

We headed to bed after I set Hedwig off.

**POV: **Draco Lucius Malfoy

~The same night~

I gasped, trying to shut out the pain. I stared at my reflection, filled with horror. I wanted to rip off my arm. I looked at the mark. It was real, all right. I hit my head against the sink.

"It's okay. Don't beat yourself up! You might die. Heheheheheheheh!" I heard a quiet, childish voice behind me. Stupid Moaning Myrtle. I wanted to throw something at her, but it wouldn't change anything. I didn't want this. I didn't want to be seen as evil.

**Okay, back to Hermione!**

That morning, I was reading a story implying that Sirius was spotted in London.

I swore up and and down that Lucius Malfoy had seen his Animagus form at King's Cross station.

Also, Sturgis Podmore was arrested for trying to break into a sealed door at the Ministry of Magic.

"He was probably set into a trap." I agreed.

I followed Harry and Ron to Quidditch practice to watch, but five minutes into the practice, a group of Slytherins appear and start insulting them. Particularly Ron.

Flustered, Ron threw the Quaffle to Katie Bell, but it slipped threw her hands and hit her in the face, causing a nosebleed.

"OI! BELL! Gettin a little bit excited I see!" I heard a Slytherin sneer and I rolled my eyes. Fred and George give her a Blood Blisterpod which they think would stop the nosebleed. We had to take her to the hospital wing, which ended the practice.

Later that night, Ron recieved a letter from Percy.

It congratulated him on becoming a Prefect, and he's relieved that Ron hasn't followed in Fred and George's footsteps. He advises Ron to steer away from their parents misguided beliefs and actions.

"Also, I must warn you to dissasoicate yourself from Hermione Granger and Dumbledore. There may soon be a change at Hogwarts!" He wrote.

He went on to commend Dolores Umbridge, believing she is a fine, upstanding person and an asset to the school.

"This is _rubbish!_" Ron exclaimed, ripping the letter apart.

Just then, Sirius's head appears in the fire. We all huddle around it. "Hermione, I don't believe Umbridge is a death eater. It may just be Voldemort experiencing a strong emotional reaction to something." He said.

"And hello Ron and Harry!" They said hello.

"But she refuses to let us use magic. And do you know anything about Hagrid?"

Sirius thought for a second.

"Well, Fudge is paranoidly fearing that Dumbledore is secretly building a wizard army to take over the Ministry. And I don't know anything about Hagrid's whereabouts, but Dumbledore isn't worried. Try not to draw attention to it, okay?

"Maybe I should visit in my Animagus form at the next Hogsmeade weekend..."

Me and Ruby both say No at the same time. Sirius chides me for being so cautious, saying that my father would've loved taking the risk.

With a faint pop, he vanished.

The next morning, the _Daily Prophet_ stated that Dolores Umbridge had been appointed "High Inquisitor." She now has extensive power over Hogwarts and can arbitrarily impose new rules and regulations. She apparently intends to evaluate all teachers and classes.

At lunch, I ask George and Fred about inspected classes. "When she inspected Charms, Flitwick just ignored her." Fred said.

I entered Divination, I saw Umbridge there with a clipboard.

As Professor Trelawney teaches, she takes notes.

"Professor Trelawney, would you make some predictions for me?"

The professor turns and is shaking. "Th-the eye cannot See on will!" Umbridge _hmph_'d and was about to leave the room. "Wait! I-I forsee something..something dark! Horror shall befall you in the future!" She said.

Umbridge wrote something on her clipboard and left.

In Defence Against the Dark Arts class, Umbridge claims that Professor Quirrell was the only other Defensive Arts teacher likely to have recieved Ministry approval.

"There was only the small matter of Voldemort being stuck on the back of his head, though!" I muttered, but she heard me. I recieved another week of detention.

The next morning, Professor McGonagall confronted me at breakfast and penalized five House points for provoking Umbridge, despite the earlier warning.

In Transfiguration, McGonagall rudely ignores Umbridge's inspection and slaps her down like a student when she tries to ask a question during class.

However, duringg Care of Magical Creatures, Umbridge is delighted with Professor Grubbly-Plank's performance.

I overheard Draco mentioning that he'd gotten hurt by a Hippogriff in Hagrid's class, and lost my temper. "The only reason you got hurt is because you were being an insufferable idiot and couldn't control yourself, you little-" Umbridge stopped me. Another week of detention was what I recieved, along with a dirty look from Draco.

In the common room, I learn that Ruby is also fed up with Umbridge's ineffective teaching. "_You _should teach Defence Against the Dark Arts!"

I told her I'm unquallified. "You already know so much that you could teach to others about it, Hermione, and you've always earned top marks." I block them out by covering my ears.

When they said I'd defeated Voldemort several times, I retorted with, "I was just winging it! It was luck and I had other people's help!"

Ruby put a hand on my shoulder. "You're the only one that knows what it's like to actually face Vo- You-Know-Who."

I grudgingly agreed to consider it, and went to bed. I slept dreamless.

A fortnight later, after detention with Umbridge, Ruby asked me if I'd considered teaching DADA. I admitted that I had.

"You should open the class to anyone who wants to learn!"

I believed only a few would come. After all, I'm a nutter.

"Maybe we should have the first meeting in Hogsmeade! Umbridge can't find us there." I worried about Sirius coming. "Don't worry, he has other things to worry about and he listens to Dumbledore"

As we head to Hogsmeade, Ruby steers us into the Hog's Head Inn, a small and rather unsavoury establishment. Even so, it's not off-limits to students.

"I only invited a couple of people, Hermione, so don't worry." We sat down and I noticed there were four people already here. A bandaged wizard, a veiled witch, and two wizards hooded and caped like Dementors. The bartender looked familiar...

When the 'couple of people' arrived, I was stunned at how many there are; Neville, Dean, Lavender, Parvati and Padma Patil, Cho (and her friend whom I didn't recognize) Luna, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, Terry Boot, Ginny, Zacharias Smith, Fred and George, and Lee Jordan. I noted that there were no Slytherins.

Ruby reminded them all why we were here. I spoke up quickly. "If you've come here to hear what happened to Cedric Diggory, then too bad. I will not discuss that. I only agreed to teach defensive magic." I could tell Zacharias Smith seemed skeptical, but didn't say anything. Ruby had them all sign a piece of parchment, and agreed to meet again when a location is found.

As we broke up, Harry mentioned that Michael Corner was probably only there because Ginny was there. Ron was incensed that he dare go out with his sister, but I didn't care.

We continued shopping.

On Monday, Harry and Ron woke me and Ruby up because they noticed a large notice announcing Educational Decree Number Twenty Four. It outlawed all unapproved student organizations. It also said that all current student groups had been disbanded and must request approval from Professor Umbridge to reform.

"Someone must've informed her about the meeting!" I exclaimed.

Ron suggested Zacharias Smith or Michael Corner.

Ruby said, "No one from the meeting could've told because I secretly enchanted the parchment everyone signed to reveal any snitches who broke the vow of secrecy." We were impressed.

At breakfast, Fred, George, Ginny, Neville and Dean approached us asking about the defence class. "It doesn't matter, we're going to do it." I declared.

Ruby waved off some members from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, saying she'll speak to them later.

During History of Magic class, Hedwig landed on the windowsill with a message, probably from Sirius. Her wing was injured, so I asked to go to the bathroom. I quickly grabbed Hedwig and exited into the hall, heading for the staff room. Professor Grubbly-Plank was just coming out of it, and I asked her if she'd be able to be healed. She took Hedwig and I pocketed the message. "She's been attacked! But I can heal her." With that, she headed off to her office with Hedwig.

The message said _Tonight, same time, same place_.

Professor McGonagall reminded me that all communication channels may be monitered. I nodded and headed off. I reassured myself by saying aloud that the message was still sealed.

Before Potions, I heard Draco make a rude comment about people with mental infirmities staying at St. Mungo's. Neville tried to fight him, but Harry and Ron restrained Neville. Snape arrived just then, penalizing ten House points from Gryiffindor. Ron and Harry ask what that was about, but I know Death Eaters tortured Neville's parents to insanity. I kept quiet.

Umbridge is of course present and taking notes. "How long have you been teaching?" She wonders.

He doesn't turn. "Fourteen years."

He also says he has applied repeatedly for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post and was always refused. "Why?" Snape suggests she ask Dumbledore.

Harry ruined his potion by straining to hear the conversation, and I quickly help him redo it.

"So, you never got the job?" Umbridge asked.

"Obviously." Snape relied, annoyed.

While I sat watching Harry, Ron and Ruby do homework, I pondered what I was going to do about the whole Harry-and-Draco-Love-Me-At-The-Same-Time ordeal.

My thoughts and their attempts are interrupted by Fred and George demonstrating the latest Skiving Snackbox: the Puking Pastilles. They induce projectile vomiting.

Later that night, Sirius' head appeared in the fireplace.

"I heard about the defensive magic group you are doing from Mundungus Fletcher. He was in the Hog's Head during your meeting disguised as a heavily-veiled witch." I showed a face of disgust. "Oh, and Ron, your mother says you're forbidden to get involved. And she advises Harry and Hermione to abandon it too. But I approve it! Fully!" I smiled.

"Hey, Sirius? Do you know any places we could have our meetings at?"

He suggests several places, but they're all unsuitable. Suddenly, he looks sideways in the flames, and disappears. A hand suddenly grabs at where his head was just at, and we run. I recognize the hand as Umbridge's.

"I'm telling you, Umbridge tried to intercept Hedwig and she injured her." I hated it, but I knew my sister was right.

Angelina Johnson reported that she received approval for Quidditch, and the team practiced outside. The weather was dreadful! They were out there for an hour before they had to come inside.

I was walking along the corridor after lunch, when my scar started hurting. This pain was different from last time. I hunched over, grabbing the closest thing to keep me standing- Harry's shoulder. "Hermione!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Voldemort- he's angry...really angry..He wants something done..and it's not happening fast enough.." Ron wondered if that's what happened in Umbridge's office, but Voldemort was happy then.

The time before that, just before we left for school, he was furious.

In the common room later that evening, I pushed away all the finished homework I had. I was nodding off when I heard the crack of someone apparating. I saw Dobby the House-Elf with the now healed Hedwig. I thanked him.

I asked Dobby about places we could have for the defensive magic classes. "Well, Dobby knows of the Room of Requirement..." Then I remembered. The Room of Requirement that appears fully equipped with whatever the person asking for it needs. I thanked Dobby and asked him how I could summon it.

The next day, I passed word that the first meeting is that evening. Ruby is doubtful, though. "Dumbledore mentioned it once." I said.

That evening, we summoned the room. It was perfect: cushions to catch Stunned students, dark detectors, a full library of Dark Arts reference books, and many other things. Students file in, awed by the perfection, and the first session begins.

"I think we should vote for a leader!" Of course, I was voted unanimously.

Ron suggested we name the group. Cho Chang spoke up, "Maybe we would call it Defence Association, or D.A for short." I smile.

"D.A could also stand for Dumbledore's Army." Ginny pointed out. So, Ruby wrote 'Dumbledore's Army' on the top of the parchment with the names on it, and pinned it to the large mirror in the room. I also had put the picture with the original Order of the Phoenix on the mirror.

"Okay, the first lesson is the disarming charm," I say to the group.

Zacharias Smith complained it's too simple. "Well, it served me well enough against Voldemort, but you're free to leave if you choose." I smiled and he shut up.

So, we all practiced. I must say, I'm glad we started to simple. When the session ends, we agree to meet next Wednesday.

Over the weeks, I was very pleased by D.A.'s progress, and I took great pleasure in flouting Umbridge's regulations.

The various team Quidditch practices make it difficult to have a regular night for the Army to meet, so I give everyone fake Galleons that transmit messages. I can use them to summon everyone for the next meeting.  
>"I'm impressed! This is a Proatean Charm- it's NEWT-level magic!" Terry Boot commented. I blushed.<p>

The first Quidditch match is approaching, and Ron's a nervous wreck. The opponent is Slytherin. It doesn't help that one of his best friends are friendly with one, but also the Slytherins are wearing badges that sai 'Weasley is our King.' It's a cruel effort to undermind Ron's confidence.

During the game, they sing a song 'Weasley is our King' to unnerve him furthur. It works, as Ron plays badly. Luckily, Harry caught the Snitch, winning the game. I noticed George and Harry confronting Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle for mocking Ron, but I simply pass by. I brushed Draco's shoulder, making him lose interest in the fight and shrink away. He catches up to me, and I flip hair out of my eyes to show I don't want to talk.

"Hey, how's it going? Rather swell night, don'tcha think?" He tries. I hold back a smile. "Hey, sorry 'bout the badges and song and stuff. We wouldn'tve done it if we knew we'd be beat-" I stopped him.

"Doesn't matter. It's fine. He'll get over it. What do you want?" The short sentences cut his pride down till it was nonexistant. "Hey, don't be so serious, I'm kidding." He chuckled. "Just wondering if you'd like to meet me down by the lake tonight?" I furrowed my brows. "Meet as in a date?" He thought for a second.

"If you want it to be." I smiled. "Sure, why not?"

I stepped into the common room and asked Harry and George what happened.

"Fred, George and I got permanently banned. Our brooms were confiscated too."

Ron stepped in behind me, still in his Quidditch robes and covered in snow.

He threw his broom down and slumped into a chair. "I never should've thought that I could be a Keeper." Ginny told him about the bans.

"This is the worst I've ever felt!" He exclaimed, burying his head in his hands.

"I know what'll cheer you up! Hagrid's back!" I said brightly. They looked at me in astonishment. I fetched my Invisibility Cloak and my Marauder's Map, and all four of us squeeze under the cloak, Ron crouching.

When we get to Hagrid's hut, we're shocked by his appearance; his face is bloodied and bruised. He has a black eye and several cuts on his face and hands and he moved as if his ribs were broken. "Hagrid! What happened? You should go see Madam Pomfrey!" I disregarded the suggestestion.

"Did you visit the giants?" Ruby asked. Hagrid was astounded.

"Listen, Hagrid, if you ell us about your mission, Hermione can tell you about the Dementor attack near her house." Hagrid sucked in a breath. "A dementor attack?"

"Tell us about your mission and I'll tell ya about the attack!" Ruby exclaimed. Well, that was one way..

He told us he was sent on a mission with Madam Maxime to the European mountains to recruit the Giants against Voldemort. They started relations with the Gurg (chief Giant) when he was overthrown. The new chief was less receptive and he and Madam Maxime had to use magic to escape.

Giants hate magic, and that ruined their chances to negotiate with teh new Gurg. They tried to recruit those who tried escaping the new chief with little success; they also had to avoid Macnair and other Death Eaters who were recruiting Giants for Voldemort.

I asked who attacked him and Ron wondered why he returned so long after Madam Maxime did. There was a knock on the door before Hagrid could say that he hadn't been attacked.

We ducked under the cloak and Professor Umbridge strolled into the hut.

She introduced herself loudly and slowly, while scrutinizing the hut. She'd noticed four sets of footprints going into the hut and none going out.

"So, why were you gone exactly?" She clicked her pen.

"For meh health, of course!" he slapped a raw steak on his bruised eye.

She didn't believe him, that was obvious. She walks around the hut, inspecting everything, searching for hiding students.

"Well, then. I will be inspecting your class as the Ministry is determined to weed out unsatisfactory teachers." she then left.

Once Hagrid told us she was in the castle, we took off the cloak.

"Hagrid, what do you plan to teach?" I sounded worried. He turned around. "It'll be good, I assure yeh."

I warned him that Professor Trelawney is already on probation.

"You should follow boring Ministry-recommended procedures, Hagrid, just to be safe," Harry added. He brushed us off and told us it's late, he's tired, and we need to get back to the castle.

As we head back to the castle under the cloak, I work on an Obliteration Charm to get rid of our footprints.

I knew they thought my warning failed, and I vowed to prevent Hagrid from getting fired.

**That Night**

I stepped out into the moonlight. A slight breeze ruffled my nightgown. The grass was sprinkled with dew and it felt wonderful on my bare feet. I ran through it, down in the direction of the lake. I saw Draco standing there, staring out into the water.

His pale, bare back was white against the moonlight and dark water. I stepped up next to him, resting my head on his shoulder.

We didn't speak for a few seconds, just admired the moon on the water. "I'm glad you came down. For a minute I thought I'd have to stand out here alone," he commented softly. I closed my eyes, enjoying the breeze on my cheek. I felt Draco's arm wrap around my waist, and he kissed my head.

The whole thing was really romantic. "Would you like to dance?" He suggested. I said yes, of course. We danced around the area to a melody only we could hear. When he spun me, my hair flew out slightly behind me, casting a long shadow on the ground. He pulled me in, and dipped me.

He pulled me back up, real close, and we kissed.

I haven't taken the time to say what a good kisser he is, have I? I don't believe I have! Well, now I have.

The kiss went a little like this: He pulled me in, my hand slipped down from his shoulder to the small of his back, and his stayed just above my waistline on my back. He closed his eyes and kissed me. I closed mine, savoring the moment.

Did I mention he smells like vanilla? I sucked in a slow breath, enjoying the air playing with the smell. So sweet, right?

For the next hour, we sat side by side, holding hands, facing the water. We talked silently of everything and nothing. When it was time to head back to the castle, I stood on my tip-toes and kissed his nose. We laughed and headed up together, hand-in-hand.

I pleaded with Hagrid the next day to teach something safe. "Nobody in thar righ' mind'd rather study Knarls than Chimeras!" I sighed. I ran over to Ron, Harry and Ruby and says I don't believe they have a Chimera waiting for them. "He still won't say anything about his injuries, too."

In Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid leads us into the Forest where he shows us strange, horse-like creatures covered with scaly skin and sporting leathery wings.

Hagrid asks how many of us can actually see them. Neville, a stringy Slytherin and I raise our hands. "These are Thestrals. Only those who 'av seen death can see 'em!" I understood, now, why I could see them and Ron, Ruby and Harry couldn't; I had witnessed Cedric Diggory's murder last year. The lesson is interupted by Umbridge, who is inspecting his teaching. Her presence unnerves Hagrid, and with her watching, interrupting and general treating him as subhuman, he delivers his worst lesson.

Some Slytherins try their best to unnerve him furthur. Professor Umbridge leaves, saying he'll get his evaluation in ten days. I heard him mumbling about how he knew he'd get sacked after that.

I had little to look forward to over the next week, except Dumbledore's Army. Over Christmas, it's suspended for obvious reasons.

Entering the Room of Requirement before the final D.A meeting prior to break, I noticed Dobby'd extravangantly decorated it. I took most decorations down except the mistletoe bunches. Everyone else came in just as I was putting the decorations in a box.

I had them practice the Impedimint jinx and Stunning. In the end, I praise everyone and say we'll start the big stuff in the new year. I noticed, as people left the room, Cho Chang talking to Harry in front of the mirror. I also noticed a branch of mistletoe slithering down above them.

I left just in time to not see them kiss.

In the common room, Harry returns. "What took you so long?" Ron complained.

"I, uh, got caught under some mistletoe with Cho." Ron asks how the kiss was.

"Um, wet. It'd be nice if she weren't always crying." I explained all the emotional turmoil Cho's undergoing.

"That's impossible! One person couldn't feel all that at once, they'd explode." I sighed.

"Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon does not mean everyone does," I turned back to Harry, "it could've been worse."

We continued to talk about the subject, and as I was falling asleep I thought Hogwarts should teach girls how to understand boys.

That night, I dreamt I was a snake slithering down a long, dark hallway. At the end of the hallway, there was a man hiding under a silvery cloak. I attacked him with my venemous fangs just as he was drawing his wand.

I woke up in panic, shouting and sweating, my scar burning intensly, convinced this dream was real and the man I attacked was Mr. Weasley.

Ginny summoned Professor McGonagall who escorted me and Ruby to Dumbledore's office.

We approached the gargoyle and she said the password (Fizzing Whizbee) and we entered the office. We heard many people talking within the office, but when the Professor knocked, they fell silent. We entered, and theonly one in there is Dumbledore sitting at his desk.

I'm vexed that he avoids loking at me. He asks what happened in my dream.

"It was from my point-of-view, as if I was the snake. I'm positive of it. Mr. Weasley is badly hurt, sir." I insist.

He immidiately send the portraits of two past headmasters, Everard and Dilys to search for Mr. Weasley. Dumbledore explains they were two of Hogwarts' most famous headmasters, and they have many other portraits they can visit.

He addresses Fawkes, saying they will need a warning. She vanishes in a flash of fire. Dumbledore placed an intricate silver machine on his desk and sets it in motion; it emits a puff of smoke that forms into a snake. "Naturally. But in effence divided?" he asked it. The snake splilts into two snakes. I was about to ask its meaning

"Sir, an injured man was found in the Ministry," Everard reports. Dilys then appears. "The man has been taken to St. Mungo's and he looks bad." Dumbledore sends Professor McGonagall to get the Weasley children. She asks about Mrs. Weasley and he says it is a job for Fawkes.

He creates a Portkey from an old kettle and turns to Phineas' portrait. He feigns awake and grudgingly agrees to deliver a message to his other portrait at number twelve, Grimmuald Place. "Inform Sirius that the Weasley children and Hermione and Ruby will be arriving." Phineas slopes off. Fred, George, Ginny and Ron arrive with Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore tells them their father has been injured and they are being sent to Grimmuald Place.

The Floo network is being watched, so we were going by Portkey instead. A flash of fire, Fawkes' warning, appears and McGonagall left to head off Umbridge.

Phineas returns and says that Sirius would be glad to have the children. The Weasley's, Ruby and I grab onto the Portkey. As it activates, Dumbledore looks at me for the first time.

My scar intensely burned and an overwhelming hatred swallowed me. I wanted to attack, and bite, Dumbledore.

We arrived at Grimmuald Place and I hear Kreacher mutter, "Back again, the blood-trator brats. Is it true their father's dying?" Sirius orders him out.

I tell everyone about my vision, but I refrain from mentioning I was the snake. The twins demand to go to the hospital, but Sirius says, "No, we should stay here. The Order wants it kept secret that Hermione is seeing events happening hundreds of miles away."

He serves us Butterbeer as we silently wait for word. I wonder about the hatred I felt, and why it seemed like I had fangs.

A Phoenix flame arrives; Molly sent word that Arthur is seriously injured but still alive. She arrives around 5:00 a.m saying that Arthur is sleeping and Bill is sitting with him. She thanks me over and over again for saving his life.

Later, I secretly confess to Sirius that I'd been the snake in the dream. Also, the feeling I had before we arrived here. He told me not to worry about it, and get some rest.

I didn't sleep that night, fearing I'd attack Ron as a snake.

Over the holidays, we stayed at Grimmuald Place to be close to the hospital.

One afternoon among merrmiment and relief that Arthur is out of danger, Tonks and Mad-Eye arrive to escort us to St. Mungo's.

The children visited while Ruby, Molly and I waited outside. Fred and George had apparently tried (unsuccessfully) to learn where Arthur was and what he was guarding when he was attacked.

The kids come out and Tonks, Moody and Molly go in. They have a 'private' discussion regarding the night's events. We eavesdropped with some Extendable Ears.  
>"I think Hermione's seein' inside You-Know-Who's mind, and I wonder if she's been possessed by Voldemort," we heard Moody say.<p>

They all looked at me, and I gaped at the floor. "I swear, I'm not being possessed. That's ridiculous!" I said aloud.

I throw the rest of my belongings into the trunk. I'm so afraid I'm being possessed by Voldemort... I close the lid and drag it out into the hall. _What if I start attacking other Order members? What if Voldemort can see into the headquarters? _I started toward the front of the house.

"Hermione, Dumbledore says to stay where you are." I sighed. He said that after the Dementor attack too. I dragged my belongings back into the room and fell onto the bed, sleep enveloping me. I slept dreamless, again.

I woke up to Ruby telling me dinner was ready, but when I open my eyes, she's already gone. I rub my eyes and stretch. "Hermione! Dinner!" I hear Molly yell up at me. "I'll be down in a second!" I yell back, grabbing a new shirt. I slip it on, and head downstairs. I catch a glimpse of myself in a hallway mirror.

I run my fingers through my hair, which has become rather long since the beginning of the year. I promised myself I'd brush it all out later tonight, and I walked into the dining room. Dinner was silent, for the most part, and afterwards I snuck away into Buckbeak's room. I sat on the grassy floor, talking to Buckbeak silently.

An hour later, Ginny walked in and sat in front of me. I mumbled that I didn't want to talk to anyone.

"I know how it feels to be possessed by You-Know-Who, Hermione." She described it. "I had no memory of doing anything. But I knew I was doing it," she said.

I'm relieved, because my experience isn't anything like hers. I'm now convinced that I'm not being possessed.

Over the next days, Sirius is overjoyed to have a house full for the holidays.

His joy is infectious; everyone gives great efforts and the house is decorated top to bottom. At Christmas, Sirius and Lupin give me a set of books full of jinxes and counter-jinxes. For Dumbledore's Army.

Fred and George tell me and Ruby to wait awhile upstairs; Molly was in tears, Percy'd returned his Christmas gift unopened, without a note.

Downstairs, we're greeted by Ruby who has a gift for Kreacher. "He won't appreciate it, Ruby.." Ron said, but she wasn't altered.

It was a quilt. "It'll brighten up his sleeping space!" She exclaimed. Ron opened a cupboard door under an old-fashioned boiler. There are items scattered around it, including many old Black family portraits. One in particular was broken, and it was of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Ruby lays the quilt carefully in the middle of the scattered objects and we leave. "Hermione, have you seen Kreacher?" I shake my head and say I haven't seen him since Sirius ordered him out when we arrived. "A house-elf can't leave without permission..." he wanders off the continue searching.

After lunch, Mundungus arrived with a borrowed car. We drive to St. Mungo's to visit Mr. Weasley. When we got there, Ruby, Harry, Ron, Ginny and I go for tea. We got lost on the way, though, and run into Gilderoy Lockhart. He has extreme memory loss, and between his pleasure at seeing us and his Healer's assumption that we're visitors, we spend time in the locked ward.

I notice another patient, Broderick Bode, had received a potted plant as a Christmas gift. I also see Neville and his grandmother walk behind a curtain. Ruby noticed to and said hi. Neville sheepishly shrinks behind his grandmother. "Don't be shy, Neville! Your friends are here. Say hi!" He waves. "Hey Neville, who're you visiting?" He said his parents.

I knew Frank and Alice Longbottom were once Aurors and former Order of the Phoenix members. They were tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange.

Neville's obviously embarrassed that his friends know about them now. It didn't help that his mother shambled over and grandly gave him a wrapper from a pack of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. "You should be proud of how your parents defended themselves!" Mrs. Longbottom said to Neville, and they departed. I admitted I knew all along, but Dumbledore had asked me to say nothing.

We returned to Grimmuald Place, and Kreacher greeted us without the usual insults. I searched around for Sirius, and found him sulking in Buckbeak's room. Dumbledore wants me to study Occlumency, the art of closing one's mind to another's intrusion.

I agree, and leave the room. I overhear Snape saying that he'll be teaching me, and Sirius asks why Dumbledore can't.

"It was his decision, not mine," Snape sneers. A verbal battle starts and I run back in. I get between them, trying to prevent a duel, for they are inches apart, wands at their throats. The whole Weasley family, including Mr. Weasley entered, so Sirius and Snape separate, Snape leaving.

"I expect you in my office at 6 o'clock Monday evening." I rolled my eyes and sat at the table between Ron and Ruby.

I told them about the lessons. "Hey- it'll stop the nightmares!" Ruby said cheerfully.

"I'd rather have the nightmares," Ron muttered.

The next day, Lupin and Tonks arrive to escort us to Hogwarts. I was heading out the door when Sirius handed me a package. "You can contact me with it," he said with a smile. I looked from the package to him, and hugged him.

Outside, Lupin summons the Knight Bus and Stan Shunpike greets us. I duck my head to keep from being recognized, and find a seat.

We arrived at Hogwarts shortly, and Lupin and Tonks separately leave.

My first day back is unpleasant. I'm dreading the Occlumency lessons, but also Dumbledore's Army members keep asking me when the next meeting is.

I was sliding into my seat in Double Potions when a paper slid in front of me. I studied it. _Next Hogsmeade weekend is next week. It's February 14__th__ . Wanna go with me? _

I raised an eyebrow and looked around. I expected Draco to be grinning at me, but it was Harry. I grabbed a quill and wrote, _Can't, already got a date. Sorry!_ I slipped it to him and straitened up as Professor Snape entered the room. I hated lying to people, and I was wary to not take it back.

That afternoon, I made my way to Snape's office. As I turned a corner, someone rammed into me; they were running and I was walking.

I slammed onto the floor, hearing a crack in the back of my head. I slowly sat up, my vision blurring. It was one of the Weasley's, I could tell from the red hair.

"Hermione! I'm so sorry are you all right?" Ron. He helped me up and steadied me with hand on my waist. Then I heard him gasp.

"You're bleeding! Oh no.." I told him I could get to the Hospital Wing on my own.

"Tell Professor Snape I'll be late..." I closed my eyes and started in the direction of the Hospital Wing.

**POV: **Draco Lucius Malfoy

(**A/N Did I mention he has a brother? He's awesome. xD**)

I paced the common room, nervously biting my fingernails. Ari watched me, not bothering to interrupt my little rant.

"Unbelievable...not understandable...stupid...retarded...insane..Why aren't you helping?" I yelled at my brother. His eyes showed little care.

"Do you want me to? Because I can. I don't know what with, but I -" Holding up a hand, I sighed and sat opposite of him. "I need more time. But every conversation I think of turns to me...telling...her.."

He grinned. The stupid git was an idiot, but he could do almost anything. "What'll I get in return?"

"Anything. Just do it. But don't get too feely or touchy," he stood up, nodded at me, and headed up into the dormitory. A minute later, he descended again in my clothes. "I got this, Draco. Settle down, relax." With that, he left.

**Back to Hermione**

I got fixed up and went back to Snape's office. He was obviously annoyed at me, but told me to sit down.

"Now, I want you to try and prevent me from penetrating your mind."

He mutters a spell and my mind opened up to several memories. I tried shutting him out, but I failed miserably, throwing a spell at him and falling to the floor.

I tried again, and he dismisses me. I noticed, as I left, he inserted memories from the Pensieve into his head.

Finding Harry, Ron and Ruby in the library, I tell them about the lesson. Ruby worries that the Occlumency lessons will just weaken my defenses instead of strengthen them.

We head to the common room in hopes it'll be quieter, but Fred and George are demonstrating their latest product; Headless Hats. I rolled my eyes and realize I left some stuff in the library.

In the hallway, I hear some noises behind a knight statue. I see Ginny and Dean snogging. It made me blush like crazy and quicken my step.

I was 5 feet away from the library when Draco stepped out from the shadows. He headed over to me and layed a hand on my shoulder, looking into my eyes libidinously.

**I am so sorry this is so long. I hope you enjoyed it! I think this makes up for the long wait. Right? **

**RIGHT!**

**Anyway, I'm making another fan fiction. It's a crossover of Twilight and Harry Potter. (Mostly, it gives me an excuse to express my deep hatred of Twilight XD But don't tell anyone that. o.o) **

**Please review, fave, sub, do all the stuff you wonderful people do. 3 I only own Ruby. And, uh, Ari. **

** WAS YOU SURPRISEDED WHEN ARI CAME INTO VIEW. HE'S AWESOME AND PERVERTED.**

**Oh and Libidinously means **characterized by excessive sexual desire**. ****SO YAH. Kbai.**


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